Cricket to make a comeback in LA Olympics 2028?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has made a strong case for including cricket in the roster for the 2028 edition of the Olympics, which will be held in the American city of Los Angeles (LA). 

This means that after 128 years, cricket could be set for a return to the Olympics.

The British publication Telegraph reported that; The International Cricket Council (ICC) has made a tournament for men and women with six teams for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. According to the report, the qualifying process will be determined by the ICC Men’s and Women’s T20I team rankings, with the top six teams qualifying. In addition, in order to cut costs, the men’s and women’s tournaments could be held separately rather than simultaneously. All teams will be required to name squads of just 14 athletes in order to keep the number of athletes down. 

The six teams will be divided into two groups of three, and the two teams that finish first will advance to the semi-final. The gold medal match will be played by the two teams that won the knockout tie, while the bronze medal playoff will be played by the two teams that lost. Cricket is one of nine sports that have been shortlisted for inclusion alongside baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, break dancing, karate, kick-boxing, squash, and motorsport in the 28 sports that have been confirmed for the 2028 LA Games. 

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An announcement is likely to be made during the 2023 IOC session in Mumbai, and a final decision on the matter is expected in September. Only once in the history of the Olympics has cricket been included on the roster: in 1900, at the second Olympic Games in Paris. Only France and Great Britain (GB) had competed in the tournament; GB won the gold medal and France took home the silver.