Cricket is set to make a historic return to the Olympic stage at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, over a century after its last appearance.
The sport will feature in both men's and women's T20 events, with six teams vying for gold. This marks the first Olympic cricket competition since the 1900 Paris Games.
Cricket will compete for the first time in 128 years at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Six teams in both men's and women's T20 competitions will battle for the gold medal.
A total of 90 players will represent their countries in what promises to be a thrilling addition to the Olympic lineup.
Although the final qualification process is still under development, the race is expected to be highly competitive. As the host nation, the USA is likely to secure automatic qualification, giving them a chance to make a mark on home soil.
Currently, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, and the West Indies lead the ICC T20I men's rankings, while Australia, England, New Zealand, India, and South Africa dominate the women’s rankings. These nations are likely to be strong contenders, although rankings may shift as the Olympics approach.
As such, unless their ranking in both men's and women's cricket improves, Pakistan could miss out the Olympics altogether. Currently, Pakistan is ranked No. 7 in Men's T20I rankings and No. 8 in Women's T20I rankings.
With gold up for grabs, teams in the lower ranks will focus on climbing the standings to secure their spots.
The campaign to include cricket in the Olympics began in August 2021 when the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally submitted a proposal for its inclusion. After discussions with the LA28 Organising Committee, the proposal was approved in October 2023, with cricket officially joining four other sports for the 2028 Games.
Alongside cricket, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature squash, flag football, lacrosse, and baseball/softball. These additions bring the total number of medal events to 351, an increase of 22 over Paris 2024. However, the core athlete cap remains at 10,500, with 698 new athletes set to compete in these five new sports.
As anticipation builds for cricket’s Olympic return, all eyes will be on which nations can qualify and how the competition unfolds on the grand stage of the 2028 Olympics.
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