T20 cricket “very likely” to feature in Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028: Report

Cricket last featured in Olympics over 120 years ago, in 1900.

Cricket’s addition to Olympics will have an impact on the broadcast media rights sale | GettyThe advent of T20 format has given cricket a push towards globalisation and also brought unprecedented commercial success to the sport.

According to a report published in The Guardian, cricket is “very likely" to be included in the list of sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Games in the form of T20 internationals.

The report claimed that the current proposal for cricket’s entry in the Olympics will be five teams in each competition, with qualification based on the rankings made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and a decision on its inclusion for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is expected to be taken at the end of the year.

While cricket has been a part of the Commonwealth Games in the recent past, it had last featured in Olympics over 120 years ago, in 1900.

The sport will be played in the men’s and women’s T20 format in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Cricket’s addition to the Olympics will also have an impact on the broadcast media rights sale. As per the report, the current Olympic broadcast rights in India are sold for individual Games and are reported to be worth just 15.6 million pounds (20 million dollars) for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

However, the figure could be worth up to 150 million pounds if the Indian cricket teams are assured of participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

“It would also see the realisation of a long-term aim at the ICC, past indifference to the Olympics having been replaced by a desire to expand the sport globally in recent years and resulting in a women’s T20 tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham," said the report.

It further stated that if cricket becomes part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, then England would compete as Team Great Britain.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 30 Jul, 2023

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