April 10, 2025 — Cricket is poised to make a monumental comeback to the Olympics at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, marking its return to the global sporting stage after a staggering 128-year absence.
The inclusion of cricket is seen as a major step forward in globalizing the sport, and excitement is mounting as only the top six international teams will compete in both men’s and women’s T20 formats.
This will be the first time since the 1900 Paris Games that cricket features as an official Olympic sport. The upcoming Olympics will host a total of 90 cricketers across genders, with each side vying for the coveted gold medal in a condensed, action-packed T20 format.
As per current projections, six teams each from the men’s and women’s T20I rankings will qualify, with the host nation USA expected to gain automatic entry. The current frontrunners in men’s cricket include India, Australia, England, New Zealand, and the West Indies. In women’s cricket, the dominant forces are Australia, England, New Zealand, India, and South Africa — all strong contenders for Olympic glory.
However, Pakistan’s road to the Olympics looks challenging. Ranked No. 7 in men’s T20Is and No. 8 in women’s, Pakistan faces a race against time to improve its standings if it hopes to feature in the 2028 cricket tournament. The highly competitive nature of qualification has intensified as nations eye this rare Olympic opportunity.
The campaign to bring cricket into the Olympics was spearheaded by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which formally proposed the sport’s inclusion in 2021. Following extensive deliberations with the LA28 Organising Committee, cricket’s Olympic status was officially confirmed in October 2023.
Alongside cricket, four other sports — squash, flag football, lacrosse, and baseball/softball — will debut at the 2028 Games, bringing the total number of Olympic medal events to 351. Although the athlete cap remains at 10,500, nearly 700 new athletes will participate across these newly added sports.
With the world watching, cricket’s reentry into the Olympics promises not just nostalgia, but an exhilarating new chapter for the sport and its global fanbase.