As ICC confirms tournament dates, cricket will make a comeback at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles

Cricket finally back in Olympics as ICC and LA 2028 officially confirm inclusion LA 2028 and ICC have confirmed cricket’s path to the Olympics with men’s and women’s T20 cricket set to feature at the Games in 2028 as the two organisations announced cricket’s full return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1896.

Both the men’s and women’s T20 event will be held from July 12 to 29, 2028, at the Pomona Fairplex, located approximately 50 kilometers from downtown Los Angeles.This will be only the second time cricket features in the Olympics, the last being in 1900 when Great Britain defeated France in a one-off match to claim gold.

Each tournament will include six teams, with each squad comprising up to 15 players, resulting in 90 athletes competing in both the men's and women's events.

The competition format will feature group stages in which teams will not face counterparts finishing in the same position in the opposite group. The top team in Group A, for instance, will face the second and third-ranked teams in Group B, and vice versa. Final rankings from these matches will determine the top four teams, with the top two advancing to the gold medal match and the third and fourth contesting the bronze.

The dates of the men's and women's finals are July 29 and July 20, respectively. Most days will host two matches—a morning game at 9:00 AM and an evening fixture at 6:30 PM local time.

While the full match schedule and order of the men’s and women’s competitions are yet to be confirmed, the LA28 organizing committee noted that a detailed timetable, including medal events and gender order, will be released later this year.

The qualification criteria for the tournaments remain under discussion and are expected to be addressed during the ICC’s Annual Conference in Singapore, beginning July 17. It is expected that T20I rankings as of a particular cut-off date will be used to pick the side. But it is not yet clear if the host nation, the USA, will get an automatic place. If that’s the case, it would decrease the available slots to other nations.

Cricket being added to 2028 Olympics will be huge boost to the game, says ICC minority to 'bring global reach and attract a new audience' Cricket being a part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is believed to be a landmark moment in the sport, expanding its reach internationally and new broadcast audience around the world.