Cricket at Los Angeles 2028 Olympics: Six Teams to Compete for Glory

Cricket is all set to make a long-awaited return to the Olympics at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles — and this time, it's official. After more than a century away from the global sporting stage, the game will be played in the T20 format, with six men’s and six women’s teams competing for glory.

It’s been a staggering 128 years since cricket last featured in the Olympics. Back then, in Paris 1900, Great Britain and France played a two-day match that has since been recognized as an unofficial Test. But now, cricket is stepping into the spotlight once again as part of a fresh lineup of sports joining LA 2028. Alongside it, squash, flag football, baseball/softball, and lacrosse have also been added to the programme. The decision was confirmed by the Executive Board (EB) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has allocated 90 athlete slots each for the men’s and women’s cricket events. This means each participating country can name a squad of 15 players — a full-strength T20 side. 

Cricket’s Olympic comeback will take the T20 route, the format known for its high tempo and wide appeal. Unlike Tests and ODIs, T20s are played across nearly 100 nations, which makes the qualification process particularly fascinating. Although the final qualification criteria haven't been laid out yet, the United States — as the host nation — is expected to get a direct entry. The International Cricket Council (ICC), which governs the sport, comprises of 12 full-member nations such as India, England, Australia, and Pakistan, and 94 associate members. With the global growth of T20 cricket, the sport’s reentry into the Olympics is being seen as a huge opportunity to expand its reach — especially in the United States. 

However, this Olympic inclusion didn’t happen overnight. The ICC began formally pushing for cricket’s Olympic return back in August 2021. What followed was over two years of back-and-forth between the ICC and the LA28 Organising Committee. Their collective efforts paid off in October 2023 when cricket was named as one of five new additions to the LA 2028 Games. In recent years, cricket has already found a place in major multi-sport events. Women’s T20 cricket made its Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham 2022, where Australia clinched the gold medal and India settled for silver. The Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 also featured cricket, with India winning gold in both the men’s and women’s categories. 

Currently, India’s men’s team and New Zealand’s women’s team hold the T20 World Cup titles, making them strong contenders for Olympic glory in 2028. The venues for cricket at LA 2028 haven’t been confirmed yet, and the detailed match schedule will be released closer to the event. But one thing’s certain — cricket fans around the world have a new date to mark on their calendars. 

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