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Cricket Bigger Than Stars, Says Sehwag
26 Sep
Summary
- Cricket's popularity endures beyond star player retirements.
- Mobile accessibility has increased cricket viewership.
- Past stars like Tendulkar faced similar retirement concerns.
Virender Sehwag asserts that Indian cricket's popularity is far greater than any individual star, including recent stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He dismissed concerns that their retirements would significantly impact viewership, drawing parallels to past eras when iconic players like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Sachin Tendulkar concluded their careers.
Sehwag noted that similar sentiments were expressed by fans during those transitions, yet cricket viewing figures remained robust. He pointed to the increasing accessibility of the sport through smartphones as a key factor in its sustained and even expanded viewership, contrasting it with earlier reliance on television.
While conceding that a segment of individual fan bases might decrease their engagement, Sehwag firmly believes the sport itself will not suffer. He concluded that if cricket's survival depended solely on its star players, it would have waned long ago, emphasizing its inherent appeal.
As of 2026-09-26T12:45:44+00:00, the retirements of Kohli and Rohit from specific formats are past events, and their impact on cricket's overall viewership is still a topic of discussion. Sehwag's perspective suggests a resilient future for the sport.
