Cricket will grandly return to the Olympic Games at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, closing a 128-year gap. It last appeared at the Olympics in 1900 in Paris, where the sole competition was between France and Great Britain in one men's match. Great Britain took the gold medal in what is now regarded as an unofficial Test.

Following the Paris 2024 Games, talks were held on incorporating cricket in the following Olympic edition. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) collaborated to reintroduce the sport. Cricket's inclusion was formally ratified in 2023 for LA28. The competition will involve gold, silver, and bronze medals, allowing half of the teams competing to have a podium finish in each game, making every match very competitive.

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Six-Team T20 Format to be Part of LA 2028

In LA 2028, cricket will be staged in the high-intensity T20 format, with six teams participating in both men and women's divisions. Each team will consist of a 15-player squad, with a combined 90 athlete quotas per gender. This translates to stiff competition among leading cricketing nations, given that only six places are available.

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USA, being the host country, is likely to receive a direct entry. That leaves only five spots remaining for qualification, which is still undecided. Nations such as India, Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand will be strong hopefuls in the men's section. In the women's section, sides such as England, Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka will be in contention as well. Cricket's return to the Olympics is a part of the trend of its participation in world sporting events.The sport was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games (men's) and the 2022 Birmingham edition (women's). It was also included in the Asian Games of 2010, 2014, and 2023.