'The game would have shut down by now': Sehwag laughs off viewership fears after Kohli and Rohit retirements

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may have walked away from two major chapters of their India careers, but former opener Virender Sehwag believes Indian cricket is far bigger than the stars who dominate it — and insists the sport will survive their exit just as it survived every great retirement before them.

Kohli and Rohit have retired from T20I and Test cricket, sparking a familiar debate among fans over whether interest in the game is tied to individual superstars and whether viewership will now dip. Sehwag, however, has heard that argument before — when Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar called time on their careers — and says cricket emerged stronger every single 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, and that the doomsday predictions never came true.

"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 than at any point in history.

"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, even if the broader sport remains untouched.

"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 signed off with a pointed reminder about the durability of the sport, delivering the line that gave the debate its headline: "Agar cricketers se hi game chal rahi hoti, toh ab tak band ho jati" — if the game ran only on cricketers, it would have shut down by now.