The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially announced the inclusion of T20 format cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. In a landmark decision revealed on Wednesday, six teams each in both men’s and women’s categories will compete, with 90 cricketers participating overall — 15 members per team.
This move is part of the IOC Executive Board’s broader plan, which approved the event program and athlete quotas for the 2028 Olympics. While the detailed venues and schedule for cricket matches are yet to be finalized, the decision has already created a buzz in the global cricketing community.
Cricket returns to the Olympics after 128 years, with its only previous appearance being a single two-day match between Great Britain and France at the 1900 Paris Olympics. Since then, the sport had remained absent from the Olympic stage, though it did feature at the 1998 Commonwealth Games (men’s) and 2022 Commonwealth Games (women’s).
Cricket is one of five new sports approved for 2028, alongside baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash. The inclusion of T20 cricket — the shortest and most commercially popular format of the game — is expected to boost the sport’s global reach, especially in non-traditional markets.
With the spotlight now on the 2028 Games, cricket's Olympic revival is seen as a major step in integrating the sport into mainstream international multi-sport events, potentially paving the way for more regular appearances in future editions.
