Arjit Kumar - Friday, Oct 03, 2025The ongoing India vs. West Indies Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has once again sparked debate about the popularity of Test cricket. While the match may have been high-profile, the empty seats in the stadium in the early days are raising questions about the format's future.
Even on a national holiday like October 2nd, the stadium's attendance remained extremely low, indicating that Test cricket no longer holds the same appeal as before.
On social media, cricket fans cited Virat Kohli's absence as a major reason for the decline in spectators. Kohli, who will retire from Test cricket in May 2025, has always been considered India's biggest crowd-puller. After his departure, Test matches lost the spark that used to draw spectators to the stadiums.
The BCCI is now worried about how to attract spectators to the stadiums after the retirement of star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Empty seats, even in a major city like Ahmedabad, indicate that Test cricket needs new faces and a new strategy.
Even on holidays like Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra, there was no significant increase in spectator attendance. This indicates that spectators are no longer giving Test cricket the same priority as they once did. This change is a warning for the BCCI.
In 2019, Virat Kohli suggested that India should have only five Test venues to provide a better spectator experience and stability for the teams. Now that spectator numbers are steadily declining, the BCCI may have to reconsider Kohli's suggestions.
