T20 format can spread cricket across globe, says former Indian star Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin (File Pic)

The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) is an essential expansion for the current landscape of franchise cricket, particularly because the shortest format has secured its long-term future over 50-over cricket, Indian spin icon Ravichandran Ashwin stated on Thursday.

Ashwin, who is set to lead the Dublin Guardians franchise in the competition, believes that the ETPL arrives at a perfect time. With cricket scheduled to make its historic return to the Olympic Games in 2028, Ashwin views the league as a vital way to spread the sport across the globe.

"Look, I think there's an Olympics that's going to happen in a couple of years. And if cricket as a game is pretty serious about making it a global affair, the teams in this league will play a very crucial part in enabling that," said Ashwin in his response to a PTI query.

The veteran off-spinner strongly believes that the T20 format is capable of truly spreading cricket all over the world.

"Our job will be purely on T20 cricket and how it can get better. And if the game has to become global and it has to become an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is." Ashwin said.

"And that's how it's going to become much bigger. And you will see a better sample size of players, which is also very critical for several of these leagues, which run through the year. T20 as a sport is here to stay. I'm not too sure about ODI cricket," he added.

Ashwin advises Team India on a comeback after the series defeat against Ireland

The legendary spinner also pointed out how local environmental factors can completely change the outcome of the match, citing India's recent unexpected 0-2 T20 series defeat at the hands of Ireland as a prime lesson for the national side.

"You should be able to adapt. The name of the game is adaptation, which is why what happened recently between India and Ireland in that T20 series is a classic example of how conditions can eliminate a lot of aspects of the game that have been developed as a root cause of T20 as a sport."

(With PTI inputs)