Cricket’s Olympic Return: LA28 Schedule Confirmed

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formally announced the schedule for cricket’s highly anticipated comeback to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028. Both the men’s and women’s T20 tournaments are slated to occur from July 12 to July 29, 2028.

This event signifies a monumental occasion for the sport, as it rejoins the Olympics after a lengthy absence of 128 years. Cricket’s sole prior appearance was at the 1900 Paris Games, where Great Britain secured a gold medal victory over France in a singular match.

The women’s medal match is scheduled for July 20, followed by the men’s final on July 29. All games will be held at the Pomona Fairplex, situated about 50 kilometers from the heart of Los Angeles.

Each competition will host six teams per gender, allocating 90 athlete spots to each, thus enabling countries to nominate squads of 15 players.

During the group stage, teams will engage with two teams from the opposing pool, specifically avoiding the team that achieved the same corresponding rank.

For instance, the Group A leaders will compete against the teams finishing second and third in Group B, and the reverse will apply. The ultimate standings will be determined from the results of all matches. The top two teams will proceed to the final, vying for the gold and silver medals, while the third- and fourth-place teams will battle for the bronze.

The schedule includes double-headers on the majority of matchdays, with games commencing at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM local time.

The inclusion of cricket in LA28 is recognized as a substantial advancement in broadening the sport’s international presence, providing exposure on a major global sporting stage.

While the specifics of the qualification process remain to be decided, discussions are anticipated during the ICC’s Annual Conference in Singapore, commencing on July 17.

In a statement, LA28 has affirmed that the gender sequence and comprehensive schedule will be disclosed later in the year.

LA28 stated, “The gender sequence for events in the 2028 Games is still pending. As noted in today’s announcement, ‘A more detailed schedule that includes medal events and gender order will be provided later this year.'”

It is expected that the T20I rankings, taken at a particular cut-off date, will be utilized to identify the six participating teams.

A significant question outstanding is whether the USA, in its role as the host nation, will automatically qualify, potentially decreasing the number of available slots for other nations.