Virat Kohli's Former Teammate Urges Cricket to Adopt FIFA's Schedule
Virat Kohli's former teammate Shreevats Goswami has called for cricket to adopt a similar schedule to FIFA's four-year World Cup wait.
On 10 Jul 2026, Goswami argued that the frequent ICC tournaments are diluting the sport's biggest events.
The T20 World Cup, held every two years, strips away the anticipation that makes it special, according to Goswami.
The FIFA World Cup, held once every four years, creates a sense of excitement and exclusivity, making it feel monumental.
Goswami believes that cricket can learn from FIFA's approach and make its tournaments feel more special by increasing the wait time between them.
The 50-over World Cup has maintained its four-year cycle and still commands genuine reverence when it arrives.
The T20 World Cup, by contrast, has been on an accelerating schedule that has made it harder to feel the same level of gravitas before every edition.
Attendances, broadcast interest, and social media engagement all spike harder for rarer events, as seen in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cricket is paying the price for cheapening its flagship events, according to Goswami.
Goswami's comments come as the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivers one spectacular moment after another.
The former cricketer used the occasion to make a pointed comparison between how the two sports manage their biggest events.
Shreevats Goswami, a former India international and Virat Kohli's ex-teammate at RCB and from his India Under-19 days, pointed to one of football's greatest strengths.
He asked why cricket cannot adopt a similar approach to make its tournaments feel more special.
The value of anticipation is what makes the FIFA World Cup feel so special, according to Goswami.
He wrote on X, **"The 'wait' is what makes it feel so special. In cricket, a World Cup every two years takes away that excitement."**
Cricket does not need to copy every element of football's model, but borrowing the simple wisdom that less is sometimes more when it comes to the biggest prizes would be a good place to start.
Goswami's comments have sparked a debate about the future of cricket's scheduling.