It’s official! Cricket will be returning to the Olympics on July 12, 2028. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the T20 competitions for the men’s and women’s categories at the Los Angeles Games will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028. The medal matches will take place on July 20 for women’s while the men’s team will battle it out for medals on July 29.
Cricket will be making its second-ever appearance at the Summer Olympics. The sport had made its debut at the Games in Paris in 1900. After a wait of 128 years, cricketers will get a chance to showcase their skills at the Olympics.
In 1900, Great Britain had claimed the gold medal after defeating Paris in a one-off match. In the Los Angeles Games, six teams will compete for medals in both men’s and women’s competitions.
90 athlete quotas will be allotted for each tournament, allowing teams to name a 15-member squad for the competition. All the matches will be played at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, about 50 km from downtown Los Angeles.
The Olympic format includes double-headers on most matchdays. The start time has been chosen to accommodate the Indian audience: The games will begin at 9:30 PM and 7 AM IST.
Mode of qualification yet to be determined
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to determine the mode of qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The matter was discussed during the apex cricket body’s Annual Conference in Singapore, which began on July 17.
Cricket’s full schedule for the Los Angeles Olympics is expected to be announced closer to the Games.
Cricket will join five other sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.
It must be mentioned that men’s and women’s cricket featured at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and most recently in 2023.
The women’s T20 tournament was also a part of the Commonwealth Games in 2022, which was played in Birmingham. Australia clinched the gold medal after beating India in the final.