Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was recognised among the 25 ‘Greatest Men’s International Cricketers of the 21st Century’ at the Cricinfo Honours Awards 2026.

Speaking at the event, Ashwin shared his views on how the bowlers are having to adapt themselves to the demands of T20 cricket, the current state of Test cricket, and whether 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should play the longest format of the game.

“Bowlers today are having to adapt at a pace they’ve never experienced before. Test cricket has evolved, pitches have changed, and conditions have changed, but T20 cricket, because of the game’s economic model, is likely to remain a high-scoring sport. As a result, bowlers need to understand that individual wicket-taking may sometimes take a back seat, and they will have to hunt as a pack. Cricket, as a sport, has traditionally been slow to evolve,” Ashwin said.

“I couldn’t hit a ball for six, but I went through baseball camps and learned through constant feedback. Cricket has now entered a phase, where both bowlers and batters must become problem-solvers, not season by season or game by game, but ball by ball. When we embrace that mindset, we will see a different level of execution from both batters and bowlers,” he added.

Ashwin recalls experience from iconic Gabba Test in 2021

Ashwin missed the iconic Gabba Test between India and Australia in 2021 due to back spasms. He recalled how then-India coach Ravi Shastri picked up a bottle to drink, but after a catch was dropped, he flicked it and someone ducked. It eventually broke after hitting the wall.

“I did want to play that game. I took a lap in the morning, but I just couldn’t stand up. It was very difficult. I missed not being able to play, but I was there for all five days, cheering everyone on. During that particular Test match, I was helping manage the coaching staff and relaying decisions to the boys,” Ashwin recollected.

“Some insane messages were being passed around. And Ravi bhai is box office when you watch these Test matches. There was one instance when he was fuming. He picked up a bottle and was about to take a sip when a catch was dropped. He just flicked the bottle, someone ducked, it hit the wall and broke. The kind of vibe that Test match had was insane,” he added.

Ashwin was asked what needs to improve in Test cricket. The 39-year-old opined that the problems Test cricket is facing while competing with T20 leagues are not just confined to India. He said that if young cricketers are to be encouraged to take Test cricket seriously, “old-fashioned coaches” should be training them.

“First-class cricket needs to be attractive enough for players to take up. The BCCI has made an attempt by revamping the salary structure, but I don’t think Test cricket is just India’s problem, it’s a global one. Are players being incentivized enough to take up the red-ball game? It requires immense hard work, constant travel, four-day games with three-day breaks in between, bodies are battered, constantly having to recover,” Ashwin said.

“That’s a tough proposition when players can play for a couple of months and pretty much earn a good living. That said, having played Test cricket and put my body on the line, I can say that nothing compares to the feeling at the end of a hard-fought Test match. Nothing can replace it. And if you’re serious about Test cricket, young cricketers should be groomed by slightly old-fashioned coaches,” he added.

Ravichandran Ashwin said that the talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should definitely play Test cricket for the greater good of the format. However, he mentioned that youngsters at the grassroots level are not too eager to play red-ball cricket and are looking to go for the big shots after blocking a few deliveries.

“I personally think he should play Test cricket. If you’re thinking about the larger good of the game, then I believe he should. But that said, can you teach your children what they are not willing to learn? You simply can’t. I think the ecosystem is driving these things, and sometimes, when the game tells you what needs to be done, it’s better to follow what it’s telling you. You cannot force a particular facet of the game. Yes, Test cricket is the pinnacle, but I’ve been involved in grassroots coaching for a long time, and I don’t see young cricketers turning up wanting to play red-ball cricket. They defend a couple of balls and immediately want to learn the shots that will get them out of trouble,” Ashwin said.

Ashwin also urged the selectors to pick Test players on the basis of their performances in first-class cricket. He added that if red-ball specialists in the domestic circuit are not rewarded for consistent performances, the sustainability of the longest format will be difficult.

“I don’t want to write this in stone and say this is exactly how it’s going to be, but Test cricketers should earn their place on the back of first-class cricket. At one point, playing all three formats was very exciting, but there are still cricketers playing first-class cricket who aspire to represent their country in the Test format,” Ashwin opined.

Unfortunately, because of various circumstances and the sheer depth of talent in Indian cricket, some of them miss the Test bus. If that continues to happen, how are we going to incentivize players to dedicate 15 to 20 years to first-class cricket, given the lifestyle sacrifices and financial realities involved? Test cricket needs to evolve a little to remain relevant because, as a serious fan of the format, I believe it is at the culmination point and something needs to happen in a very emergency fashion,” he concluded.

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Liam Livingstone opined that Virat Kohli might be a fierce competitor on the field and someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, but outside of it, he is someone who wants to stay away from all the limelight.

Livingstone, who played IPL 2026 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, said that Kohli likes to spend time with his family and wants to keep his personal life away from the public eye.

“He was amazing. I’d always played against Virat, and he’s always laughing. If you want to have a go at someone, he’ll have a go back at you. But on the field, he’s ultra-competitive. As soon as he steps over that line, he’s a different person. But, on the field, he is a really nice, chill guy, and loves spending time with his family. Very chilled out guy,” Livingstone said while speaking on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.

“Almost like he doesn’t want that life, he lives in India. He doesn’t really want the eye on him all the time. He is a genuinely nice guy,” he added.

Livingstone shared the RCB dressing room with Kohli during IPL 2025. However, after a disappointing season, he was released by the franchise, and Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him up.

“When he gets out onto the pitch, he is the most competitive player I have seen,” Livingstone said while reiterating Kohli’s fierce persona when he is playing.

Livingstone also revealed that RCB’s Director of Cricket Mo Bobat and head coach Andy Flower were the ones who asked Kohli to be aggressive inside the power play. In IPL 2026, the former India captain finished with a staggering strike rate of 165.85, his best in a particular season of the cash-rich league.

“Mo [Bobat] and Andy [Flower] went in and changed the way he played. They were brave enough to do that,” Livingstone revealed.

“They asked him to be a bit more aggressive, hit more sixes, and keep going with that aggression in the powerplay. You see the way he plays now in the powerplay, and he’s way more aggressive than he used to be. Even against spin, he’s playing more shots than he ever did,” Livingstone added.

Afghanistan are set to face India in a one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, starting on Saturday, June 6. Hashmatullah Shahidi is going to lead the Blue Tigers against a strong Indian side.

Shahidi was asked about talismanic leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s future in Test cricket. While Rashid hasn’t retired from the longest format yet, he has limited himself to playing only one Test match a year. Shahidi said that the Gujarat Titans’ vice-captain and the selectors will decide on Rashid’s availability in red-ball cricket.

“Rashid has done well in the Tests (45 wickets in 6 Tests) that he has played. Personally, I haven’t spoken to Rashid about whether he will play Tests again or not. He had discussions with the selectors and I don’t want to talk about that,” Shahidi was quoted as saying at the press conference on Thursday.

Shahidi emphasised the need for Afghanistan to play more Test matches against the top teams so that they can get better in the format. He admitted that playing, on average, only two Tests a year has been a significant impediment for Afghan cricket since they made their debut in 2018.

“We played India in 2018. We have more experience now, but we need to play more to build our Test team. When it comes to domestic cricket, we play six to seven red-ball games, but in Tests we get only one or two games a year,” Shahidi said.

However, Shahidi disagreed when asked whether the young talents in Afghanistan are solely focused on playing only franchise tournaments.

“Everyone knows that our guys do very well in franchise leagues and if you see, our white-ball performances have been good. But even then, we have a lot of talent in Afghanistan who are waiting for their chance,” said Shahidi.

While the conditions are going to be hot and humid during the solitary Test match, the left-handed batter asserted that his team has what it takes to deal with such conditions.

“We had a camp in Jalalabad in Afghanistan and also played a tournament. The temperature was 35 degrees there, so we are well equipped to handle the heat,” he said.