India's R Ashwin has made a bold claim for ICC and said that nobody will watch the 2026 T20 World Cup owing to the ICC events being held every year and a huge gap in the quality amongst teams. In an interaction on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed that the number of one-sided matches will force fans to stay away from this mega event.

"No one is going to watch the ICC T20 World Cup this time. India vs USA, India vs. Namibia—these are games that will literally pull you away from the World Cup. World Cups used to happen once every four years. As a result, the interest is used to build. India used to play England or Sri Lanka in the first round, and that was a lot more fun," Ashwin was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.

He also questioned the regular scheduling of these mega events, and that has lessened the wait for these events. He emphasised that a huge gap between the top teams and emerging teams is the biggest reason, and the initial round mismatches have reduced the competitive edge.

Also Read: BCCI Maintains Silence On Bangladesh Player Mustafizur Rahman's IPL Participation: 'Let's Not Get Into This'

After 2010, these events have been held almost every year, except in 2018. The 2020 T20 World Cup was postponed from 2020 to 2021 owing to COVID-19 and was held again in 2022. The ODI World Cup was held in 2023, and then a T20 World Cup was held in 2024, the Champions Trophy in 2025, and now another T20 World Cup in 2026.

His statement resonated with a few fans and ex-players, who said that a hectic schedule has led to the fans' fatigue.

Also Read: Ashes 5th Test: SCG Curator Adam Lewis Unfazed By Scrutiny Post Melbourne Disaster, Focuses On Crafting Memorable Pitch

There are 20 teams that will be participating in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which will be held in India next month. The hosts are the reigning champions and are also considered the favourites to win the title. This mega event will be held in 5 groups, where the host will lock horns with the USA in the tournament opener.