Cricket is one of the five sports to be featured at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. However, only six countries will get the chance to compete for Olympic gold in cricket.
Organizers have confirmed that the games will be played in the T20 format, featuring six teams in both the men’s and women’s events.
With 90 athlete quotas allocated per gender, each team will field a 15-player squad. Only the top six teams will qualify for these showcase events.
Provided that the USA may receive automatic qualification as hosts, among the ICC's 94 associate members and 12 full members, only five remaining spots are up for grabs for men's cricket teams at LA 2028.
The Indian men's cricket team, captioned by Suryakumar Yadav, currently occupies the numero uno position in the ICC Men's T20I rankings, while the Harmanpreet Kaur-led women's cricket team is ranked third, behind Australia and England.
The participation of Pakistan's cricket teams might be in jeopardy, considering their rankings. They are currently holding seventh and eighth spots in the men's and women’s team rankings, respectively.
Notably, the IOC approved cricket’s inclusion for LA28 two years ago, along with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.
The inclusion of cricket in the LA 2028 Games program was mainly stirred by the desire to cater to South Asian audiences and enable the International Olympic Committee to secure larger broadcast deals, particularly in the subcontinent.
While venues are yet to be finalized, multiple reports suggest that, in an effort to maximize Indian viewership, the 2028 LA Olympics may see the cricket event relocated to New York, approximately a six-hour flight away.
The LA 2028 organizers are prioritizing Indian viewership for cricket's Olympic debut. With India 9.5 hours ahead of New York and 12.5 hours ahead of Los Angeles, Casey Wasserman, LA 2028 chairman, confirmed that plans will be tailored to suit Indian time zones.
This decision follows New York's recent hosting of the 2024 T20 World Cup in a temporary Nassau County stadium.
(With TOI Inputs)
