Los Angeles 2028

Cricket at Los Angeles 2028: T20 Format Returns to Olympics After 128 Years

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The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is set to mark a historic moment in cricketing history — the sport will return to the Olympic Games after 128 years. The decision, confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), means cricket will be part of the Olympic Games programme for the first time since 1900.

The T20 format will be featured for both men’s and women’s cricket, with six teams in each category competing for the Olympic gold.

Key Highlights

  • Cricket returns to the Olympics after 128 years

  • The format will be T20 International

  • Six teams will compete in both men’s and women’s events

  • A total of 90 players will participate in each category

  • Qualification criteria are yet to be announced

  • Cricket joins squash, flag football, lacrosse, and baseball/softball as new sports at LA 2028

T20 Cricket Returns to the Olympics

Team India is the current T20 World Champions in the Men’s game, and New Zealand are the T20 World Champions in the women’s game.

The Olympics will feature T20 Format cricket.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that Cricket will return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 128 years, featuring six teams in both the men’s and women’s events.

A total of 90 players will participate in each event. The sport will be played in the T20 format at the world’s biggest multi-sport spectacle, set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

Five new sports events, including Cricket, squash, flag football, baseball/softball, and lacrosse, will feature in the Los Angeles Olympics.

Unlike Test and ODI formats, T20 International cricket is played by nearly 100 nations, making the qualification process an interesting challenge. As hosts, the USA might receive a direct entry into the tournament.

Also Read: Ricky Ponting on cricket at the Olympics- Overjoyed Indian celebrities’ welcome inclusion in LA Olympics 2028

Qualification: A Challenge for Global Participation

As per current structure:

  • USA, the host nation, is expected to gain automatic qualification

  • That leaves just five spots for other teams in each category

The ICC currently has 12 Full Member nations and over 90 Associate Member countries playing T20 cricket. With limited slots available, qualification will be competitive, and the process is expected to be based on ICC rankings, world event performances, or a pre-Olympic qualification tournament.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) formally announced its intent to campaign for Olympics’ inclusion in August 2021

This led to a collaborative effort between the ICC and the LA28 Organising Committee, and in October 2023, cricket was officially proposed as one of five new sports.

Other New Sports at LA 2028

The Los Angeles Olympics 2028 will include:

  • Cricket (T20 format)

  • Squash

  • Flag Football

  • Lacrosse

  • Baseball/Softball

This inclusion adds 22 new medal events, bringing the total number of medal events to 351.

These decisions were approved by the IOC Executive Board and reflect the growing global influence of sports traditionally not part of the Olympic roster.

ICC is working on cricket’s presence in all future Olympic Games, including Brisbane 2032.

The former BCCI secretary and current ICC Chairman Jay Shah played a key role for this change.

Cricket was played in the Olympics as a one-off match in Paris in 1900

Which team will qualify ?

  • Qualification criteria are yet to be confirmed.
  • Currently, under the International Cricket Council (ICC), there are 12 Full Member Nations and 90+ Countries as associate nations who play cricket.
  • Qualification will be a big task for the organisers for the 2028 Games as there are 12 Full-Member Nations under the International Cricket Council (ICC) with another 90-plus countries playing the T20 as Associate Members.
  • Hosting the Olympics makes USA an automatic qualifier leaving only 5 Team slots available.

How do they impact India’s Olympic medal chances?

 

Final Thoughts

Cricket’s return to the Olympics after 128 years is more than a symbolic gesture—it’s a game-changing opportunity. For nations like India, Australia, England, and South Africa, the inclusion opens the door to Olympic cricket medals, an honor that will further elevate the status of the sport globally.

For India, in particular, this could be the beginning of a new Olympic legacy in cricket, adding to its already growing influence in world sports.

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