Cricket is returning to the Olympic Games in 2028 and it’s going to be amazing! After 128 years, this world-famous and equally adored sport will finally get its time under the Olympic sunshine. The Los Angeles Olympics will feature cricket as a six-team T20 tournament, with qualification determined through continental competitions and playoff matches rather than relying on the top six-ranked teams.
The championship matches will take place inside a brand new arena being built at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, California. It is literally under an hour’s drive of the athletes’ village in Los Angeles. The cricket tournament will start on July 12, 2028, only two days before the opening ceremony for the Olympics. Spectators can expect two games daily, taking place at 09:00 and 18:30 Pacific Daylight Time.
International audiences will have access to the matches, which will be broadcast at 21:30 and 07:00 India Standard Time, as well as at 17:00 and 02:30 British Summer Time. This groundbreaking event will see both men and women’s teams participating. Cricket’s inclusion at the Olympics would be a remarkable outcome of one of the sport’s largest-ever global participations.
Richard Thompson, chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), shared insights into the qualification process and the future of cricket at the Olympics. She was insistent on sticking to the letter of the rules established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“We are there by invitation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and you abide by their rules,” – Richard Thompson
Thompson stated his desire to see more than six teams in future Olympic Games. As he noted, cricket is a decidedly global and international sport today. Its addition to the Olympics will enhance its status even further, establishing it as a truly global game.
“At the moment we are a very significant international game, but once you’re at the Olympics you become a global game.” – Richard Thompson
The ECB chair went further than economic benefits, talking up the positive impact expanding cricket’s reach could have across the globe. He stated, “The opportunity to grow the game globally is very, very real and it starts now and we’ll certainly see that play out in 2028.”
Thompson noted that only cities the size of Brisbane, Australia, have been awarded the 2032 Games. He reiterated Doha, Riyadh and New Delhi as possible hosts for the 2036 Games. India is very keen to bring cricket to the fore at these upcoming Olympics.
Leave a Reply