Cricket returns to Olympics 2028, matches dates announced

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the return of cricket to the 2028 Olympics, saying that the matches will start from July 12, 2028.

It is pertinent to note that cricket was last included in the Paris Olympics in 1900, in which teams from Great Britain and host France participated, where Great Britain won. In October 2023, it was announced that the top officials of the Los Angeles Games 2028 have proposed holding a tournament of 6 teams of men's and women's T20 cricket, in which the United States will also include its team as the host.

A press release issued today said that the return of cricket after a long time was announced, along with the official competition schedule.

The press release stated that the cricket matches will start from July 12, while the medal matches will be played on July 20 and 29.

It was further stated that there will be no matches in Los Angeles on July 14 and 21 in 2028, with most days having two matches a day, starting at 9:00am and 6:30pm local time, with the same times for the medal matches.

Each of the men’s and women’s tournaments will feature six teams, with each team fielding a squad of 15 players, with 90 and 90 quotas set for men and women, respectively.

The press release added that all matches will be held in a specially constructed temporary stadium at the Pomona Fairgrounds, about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles.

CWI Chief Executive Chris Deering had said, ‘We just want the glorious Olympic history of our individual countries to be included in this conversation. Our countries have always won gold medals at the Olympics under individual flags’.

“Now that cricket has been included, we need to ensure that our cricketers are not left out of history. We are ready to cooperate, we are ready to compete, but above all, we are just asking for justice,” he said.