Cricket is set to make a historic return to the Olympic Games in 2028, after more than a century away. The last time cricket had been part of the Olympics was in the 1900 Paris Games, where only two teams: Great Britain and France played a single two-day match.
When and Where
The cricket competition at LA 2028 will run from July 12 to July 29, 2028. All matches will be played at a specially built, temporary stadium at the Fairplex in Pomona, around 50 km from downtown Los Angeles. The venue is part of the Pomona Fairgrounds, making use of a large space that already hosts the LA County Fair among other events.
Format & Teams
- The tournament will use the Twenty20 (T20) format, the shortest and most exciting international version of cricket.
- There will be six teams in the men’s event and six teams in the women’s event, making 12 teams in total.
- Each team can select a squad of 15 players.
- That makes for 180 athletes in total (90 men + 90 women) allocated in the cricket event.
Tournament Structure
- The teams will be divided into two groups of three in each of the men’s and women’s tournaments.
- Then, teams also play cross-group matches: they play against two teams from the other group, but not the team that finished in the same position as them in the opposite group.
- After these group & cross-group matches, teams are ranked. The top two sides will play in the gold medal match, while teams that finish 3rd and 4th will contest for bronze.
Schedule & Timing
- Most match days will have double-headers, meaning two games on the same day.
- Interestingly, no cricket matches are scheduled on July 14 and July 21 according to the current schedule.
- Match timings will cater to a global audience: one match will begin at 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), and the second will start at 6:30 PM PDT.
- For those watching from India, that translates to around 9:30 PM IST (for morning games) and 7:00 AM IST (for evening games) the next day.
Why This Is a Big Deal
- This is a huge moment for cricket: its return to the Olympics after 128 years is seen as a way to boost the game’s global reach.
- The T20 format is perfect for the Olympics, it’s compact, fast, and exciting, which helps attract new fans beyond traditional cricket-playing nations.
- Having both men’s and women’s tournaments means more inclusion and a bigger global stage for women’s cricket.
- The temporary stadium in Pomona makes it easier to host cricket in a city not traditionally known for the sport, showing how the Games are pushing to use flexible infrastructure.
What’s Next for Teams
The qualification process for which teams get to play in LA is still being sorted out. But not all traditional cricketing powerhouses may automatically be in, there could be qualifiers.
For countries like India, Australia, England, and others, this will be a major opportunity to aim for an Olympic medal in cricket, something that has never happened before for the sport at the Olympics.
Conclusion
Cricket is back at the Olympics in 2028, and it’s not just a symbolic return, it’s a full T20 tournament for both men and women, played over nearly three weeks, at a purpose-built venue in Pomona. This could be a landmark moment for cricket’s global reach and might change how the sport is viewed on the world’s biggest sports stage.
Written By:- Manjunath S