The debate regarding fan interest following the departure of these established names has been addressed by Virender Sehwag, the former India opener. Virender Sehwag refuted allegations that cricket enthusiasts prioritise individual players during an interview with News18.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have all discontinued their participation in Test cricket. Kohli and Rohit’s departure from the format occurred nearly one year and a half ago. Following their departure, Shubman Gill has assumed the captaincy role. The transition has sparked a debate regarding the extent to which the sport’s appeal is contingent upon the presence of prominent players.
Virender Sehwag on the practice of assigning viewership to individual stars
Virender Sehwag emphasised that the practice of assigning viewership to individual players is not a novel phenomenon in the annals of Indian cricket. Across various eras, comparable assertions were made regarding legendary figures. He emphasised that the game has maintained its appeal to audiences in the past, despite the retirement of prominent figures.
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The former opener emphasised that the game’s survival is not contingent upon the mere presence of individual cricketers. His argument implies that cricket’s allure is derived from a more comprehensive set of factors than the personalities of its players.
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