'How can an ICC event happen every year?' - Aakash Chopra after India's T20 World Cup victory

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has opined that too many ICC tournaments are being played in a short span of time, calling for more gaps between the duration of each ICC tournament.

India beat New Zealand in the final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on March 8, making it their third ICC Trophy triumph in the last three years, after the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.

India’s victory came by 96 runs after scoring a mammoth 255/5 being put into bat in Ahmedabad, before bundling New Zealand out for 159. In the process, they became the first team to win the title three times and also the first to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title. Additionally, India also became the first host nation to win the T20 World Cup.

"It's a fair point. It seems like we are playing an ICC trophy every week. ICC white-ball tournaments are being played every year from 2021 to 2028. It has one Champions Trophy, many T20 World Cups, and two ODI World Cups, and we haven't even spoken about the World Test Championship. How can an ICC event happen every year?" Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

He further exclaimed that the feelings towards these ICC tournaments will be more positive, with better fan reception if they are held with significant gaps in between.

"Just think about it, from 2021 to 2018, every single year there is a white-ball ICC event. Far too many. You get a champion every day. We will celebrate if India win every day, but when something happens once in four years, you are more passionate towards it," he observed.

He later highlighted that the frequency needs to be reassessed, with reference to the football World Cup , which happens every four years.

The next ICC event is set to be the ODI World Cup in 2027, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.