Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may have walked away from two major chapters of their India careers, but Virender Sehwag believes Indian cricket is far bigger than the stars who dominate it.For years, fans have argued that their interest in the sport is tied to individual superstars. Sehwag, however, has heard that argument before when Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar called time on their careers, and says cricket survived every time.In an exclusive interview with News18, Sehwag dismissed concerns that the retirements of Kohli and Rohit from T20Is and Test cricket would lead to a significant decline in cricket viewership.
‘Fans said the same for Gavaskar, Kapil, Sachin’
Sehwag pointed out that similar concerns were raised whenever an iconic Indian cricketer retired.“Log kehte zaroor hain, unke fans kehte hain ki hum Virat Kohli ke liye cricket dekhte hain ya Rohit Sharma ke liye dekhte hain. Par aisa toh Sunil Gavaskar ke liye bhi kaha jata tha, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar ke liye bhi kaha jata tha,” Sehwag said.The former India opener acknowledged that some fans may watch less cricket after their favourite players retire, but argued that it does not mean the sport itself will lose its appeal.“Yet, people are still watching as much cricket as they used to before,” he added.
Cricket is now more accessible than ever
According to Sehwag, one of the biggest reasons cricket continues to attract viewers is its growing accessibility. He contrasted the current viewing landscape with the era when television was the primary way for fans to follow matches. With smartphones now putting live cricket and highlights in people’s hands, the sport has become easier to consume.“In fact, more people are watching now because earlier it used to come on TV, but now it is available on mobile phones. It has become even easier,” Sehwag said.
‘Some of their fans won’t’
Sehwag did concede that the retirements of Kohli and Rohit could affect a section of their individual fan bases.“So, to say that if this player retires, we won’t watch cricket anymore, maybe some of their fans won’t,” he said.“I have also heard people say, ‘You stopped playing, so we stopped watching,’ but that’s not really the case. They probably still watch a little bit,” he added.“Agar cricketers se hi game chal rahi hoti, toh ab tak band ho jati,” he concluded.
