Cricket in 2028 LA Olympics will have six-team men’s and women’s T20 events, says ICC

[Gollum]

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Cricket returns to the Olympics in 2028 with qualification involving a regional approach, with top teams selected from each continent.

 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that 12 teams will feature across the men’s and women’s T20 events at LA28, with six sides in each competition and 28 matches in total. This structure was formalised at a recent ICC Board meeting in Dubai, alongside broader discussions with the International Olympic Committee on how cricket fits into the multi-sport ecosystem.

How the Olympic qualification will work

The original idea on the table was simple: just pick up the top six teams from the ICC T20I rankings. That proposal has now been shelved. Instead, the ICC Board has opted for a more geographically balanced route.

According to a veteran administrator who attended the recent ICC meetings in Dubai, the broad agreement is that each region or continent will send its top-ranked team, and a global qualifying tournament will decide the final spot. The official described this framework as a roadmap that is more or less frozen, with the finer details to follow in due course, as reported by the Times of India.

 

In the same context, the ICC’s own media release underlined both the scale and symbolism of LA28 for cricket, stating:

“The Board reviewed the ICC’s ongoing engagement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, as cricket deepens its footprint in the global multisport landscape. At LA28, both men’s and women’s T20 events will feature six teams each, comprising 28 matches in total.

[Gollum]

Wonder how it will work in North America and Europe. 

 

England by itself doesn't take part in Olympics, they play as part of Team Great Britain. So Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland rankings will come into the picture how?

 

WI is just a cricket thing. Otherwise T&T, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Grenada etc. compete as separate countries. 

 

Will USA get a spot as hosting country, as is the norm in football/hockey/basketball? Olympics is the main reason why they are investing in cricket now. 

Edited November 8, 2025 by Gollum

[ShoonyaSifar]

3 hours ago, Gollum said:

Wonder how it will work in North America and Europe. 

 

England by itself doesn't take part in Olympics, they play as part of Team Great Britain. So Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland rankings will come into the picture how?

 

WI is just a cricket thing. Otherwise T&T, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Grenada etc. compete as separate countries. 

 

Will USA get a spot as hosting country, as is the norm in football/hockey/basketball? Olympics is the main reason why they are investing in cricket now. 

Same as other olympics team sports?

 

Hockey has Great Britain as has Football.

 

WI is a tricky one. 1998 CWG fanes had Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica as separate teams. But then Eng didn't participate only Scotland and Northern Ireland were there.

 

Looking at top teams from continents, GB, Aus, India, SA and USA likely to be 5 confirmed teams.

 

NZ PAK SL BD AFG to compete with others for final spot.

[Lone Wolf]

NZ will favorites to go through on the basis of qualifiers.

 

@Gollum though Asian Games Gold can also have a role like we see in Hockey?

[Gollum]

5 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

NZ will favorites to go through on the basis of qualifiers.

 

@Gollum though Asian Games Gold can also have a role like we see in Hockey?

Yeah, can try that. Will give more context to Asian Games.

 

In hockey, gold in AG seals direct qualification to Oly, Asia Cup tied with WC. 

 

In future hope to see more teams, 6 is too less in men's at least. 

[Lone Wolf]

5 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Yeah, can try that. Will give more context to Asian Games.

 

In hockey, gold in AG seals direct qualification to Oly, Asia Cup tied with WC. 

 

In future hope to see more teams, 6 is too less in men's at least. 

Yeah would be interesting I reckon if ICC chodus willnbe desperate for Pakistan 

and in case by some fluke miracle Pak wins in AG... They will pull this card 100%

 

Pak ain't coming out of qualifiers that's certain 

[Gollum]

3 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

Yeah would be interesting I reckon if ICC chodus willnbe desperate for Pakistan 

and in case by some fluke miracle Pak wins in AG... They will pull this card 100%

 

Pak ain't coming out of qualifiers that's certain 

Watching Pawks fail to make the cut will be entertaining. But too few teams mean that we too can miss a spot in a future edition, T20Is is too volatile, rankings as well as tournament results. Have 8-10 teams perhaps, you want to see teams like Ind, Aus, NZ make the cut every single time. 

 

There is always the option of starting our event 2-3 days before opening ceremony, that is what happens in football, baseball. 

[Gollum]

More worried about the playing surface(s). 24 T20 WC NY deck was borderline dangerous. Asian Games pitch in Hangzhou last edition was also low quality.

 

I am sure we will get banger pitches in 2032 Brisbane, but LA, not sure? ICC has to make sure we get world class pitches, this is a once in a lifetime oppportunity to give our sport a more global appeal. Once it is a lock in Olympics, you will see US, China, Brazil, Japan, European powerhouses invest more resources in cricket.....there is a reason there are 20+ good teams in field hockey.....with erstwhile minnows like Belgium, France making sudden leaps. 

Edited November 8, 2025 by Gollum

[tapandrun]

Good that they are going with continental qualifications. As for the future of Olympics and its status in cricket the ICC and comprising boards would like it to keep it how its in the foot-ball not that high though every country want to win a medal to increase the telly.

 

Ecb and CS and CI has to figure out a way specially CI which can have players from both NI and RI.

 

For WI their domestic super 50 tournament is more or less country based tournament so teams can be formed based on that.

 

For direct qualifications from Asian games and Pan American games would decrease the value of Asia cup and super 50.

 

Comparing cricket to hockey and similar kind of up-take in other countries is hard and not fair. Hockey is a game based on running ppl and countries where running and keep fit is a thing they can take up hockey, where-else cricket is more of 1 player bowling and rest 10 standing and fetching the ball. Plus there are so many rules, so many kind of pitches and bowling types.

 

And the last-one is infra,a hockey ground can be laid any where just after 4-5 blocks and in any sporting complex. It does not req. large area or special up-keep with the introduction of truf. Cricket need specialist for making pitches and constant need to up-keep the fiel.

 

 

 

 

[Tillu]

The cut off date for qualification wasn't announced yet, might be the reason why we were still playing Bumrah, Gill and other players in the T20Is in Australia even though the test series with SA is looming around.

 

If they use the same method for every Olympic event, SA and England will always have the easiest route to qualification as they do not any other strong teams to threaten them and Asian teams will have the hardest route to qualify.

 

It will be unfair to all the teams having more than one strong team in their continents.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2025 by Tillu

[bsriharsha]

Ideally the winners and runners up of the most recent icc T20 championship and three other top ranked T20 sides should get in. With one spot being given for the winner of a tournament involving all the remainder of the sides. 

 

What this means is that there's a high chance that teams schedule as many t20s as possible against minnow teams in an attempt to get those easy wins. 

 

Windies won't be allowed to participate as the entity doesnt work for groups of countries in Olympics. 

 

In future , we will need to be having a 12 team format at the very least. 

 

 

 

 

[bsriharsha]

And it would be better in the long run if this was restricted to have rules like what the rules for football in Olympics are. 

 

Up and coming u19 stars with 2-3 overaged players. 

[Gollum]

Just now, bsriharsha said:

And it would be better in the long run if this was restricted to have rules like what the rules for football in Olympics are. 

 

Up and coming u19 stars with 2-3 overaged players. 

Disagree. Cricket should have no restricted rules, let the best teams play a la T20 WC. Football is already global and 100 times bigger than cricket. Olympics is an opportunity to showcase our sport to a global audience, no clown show please.

[bsriharsha]

24 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Disagree. Cricket should have no restricted rules, let the best teams play a la T20 WC. Football is already global and 100 times bigger than cricket. Olympics is an opportunity to showcase our sport to a global audience, no clown show please.

I'm a huge football fan. Probably more of a football fan than I am of a cricket fan. But there's a reason why fifa made those rules, it is to not degrade their World cups. 

 

That's why I'm saying in the long run , maybe not in the first 2-3 Olympics. But in the long run , it's better if this was restricted to upcoming players rather than playing millionaires in. 

[Gollum]

5 hours ago, bsriharsha said:

I'm a huge football fan. Probably more of a football fan than I am of a cricket fan. But there's a reason why fifa made those rules, it is to not degrade their World cups. 

 

That's why I'm saying in the long run , maybe not in the first 2-3 Olympics. But in the long run , it's better if this was restricted to upcoming players rather than playing millionaires in. 

If you put age restrictions, SC teams, esp Afg/Pak/BD will game the system. That is another worry, every U-19 WC we see overage cricketers playing from these countries.

 

Anyway, I'll say that football can do whatever it wants. That sport has no competition, and will be numero uno even 100 years from now. Heck, if there is an event which can rival the Olympics in scale/interest/money, it is FIFA WC. 

[tapandrun]

 

6 hours ago, bsriharsha said:

Ideally the winners and runners up of the most recent icc T20 championship and three other top ranked T20 sides should get in. With one spot being given for the winner of a tournament involving all the remainder of the sides. 

 

What this means is that there's a high chance that teams schedule as many t20s as possible against minnow teams in an attempt to get those easy wins. 

 

Windies won't be allowed to participate as the entity doesnt work for groups of countries in Olympics. 

 

In future , we will need to be having a 12 team format at the very least. 

 

 

 

 

 

The issue is there are 4-5 teams from sc , so not doing continental qualification means there can be no team from 2 or more continents. 

So allowing continental participation means atleast 1 teat from each continent , this will promote south-american countries too take up cricket.

 

Promoting cricket is tough have posted about  why it is so.

 

Agree with how ICC and other boards will take it like football, they do not want to dilute the world-cup charm. Even in Asian game no board sent a full strength team.

 

Posted on wi participation , their domestic cricket pro or super 50 it is country bases and even the cpl franchisees are country base, So it wont take much time to come up with a plan.

 

 

[Gollum]

Steve Smith said that he didn't retire from T20s just because of the Olympics. Though unlikely he will feature, he wants to keep that door open, even if it is a minute chance. 

 

For players, dream of an Olympic medal, especially gold will be high in priority. Djokovic rates his Paris gold above any of his 24 majors, every time he speaks about that event he calls it his greatest achievement. 

 

For a medal starved country like India, you bet our players will place an Olympic gold at par or above any ICC trophy. I still remember how each medal in Rio/Tokyo/Paris was celebrated by our people, even bronze medals in unpopular events like shooting. Our people will celebrate a cricket gold with more gusto than 2011 WC or 2024 T20 WC. Asian Games is different, much smaller and easier, we regularly win 20+ golds, 100 odd overall medals. 

Edited November 10, 2025 by Gollum

[bsriharsha]

1 hour ago, Gollum said:

If you put age restrictions, SC teams, esp Afg/Pak/BD will game the system. That is another worry, every U-19 WC we see overage cricketers playing from these countries.

 

Agree with how Pak/Afg will game the system. 

[Zero_Unit]

On 11/8/2025 at 7:36 AM, Lone Wolf said:

NZ will favorites to go through on the basis of qualifiers.

 

@Gollum though Asian Games Gold can also have a role like we see in Hockey?

Maybe Asia cup could finally have a relevance other than the trophy 

[maniac]

Feel women’s cricket will be lot more competitive in the coming years with a lot of European countries taking it more seriously as a competitive Olympic sports. Men’s sports are usually more commercially driven and cater to mass markets however wealthy European countries and North America will start investing at a school level at least for women’s sport and with better athletes, won’t be super easy for Indian women at least. I think Italy, Japan are developing a good core players at a girls cricket level.

 

mens cricket,  India should win minimum bronze  medal for the  foreseeable future unless a nuclear holocaust.