Cricket In 2028 Olympics: T20 to Make Grand Debut with Six-Team Line-Up

Cricket is all set to make a smashing comeback at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles - ending a 128-year Olympic drought! The organisers have confirmed that six teams each will compete in the men’s and women’s categories.

Each squad will consist of 15 players, bringing a total of 180 cricketers to the global stage — 90 men and 90 women.

Cricket joins four other new sports making their Olympic debut or return at LA 2028: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (in its sixes format), and squash.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) currently has 12 full member nations, including powerhouses like India, Australia, and England, alongside 94 associate nations. However, only six teams will get a shot at Olympic gold in each gender category. With the USA likely to receive automatic qualification as the host nation, the remaining five slots will be up for grabs through a qualification process yet to be announced.

Cricket’s only Olympic appearance so far was way back in 1900, during the Paris Games, where Great Britain defeated France in a two-day match — now remembered more as an unofficial Test than an Olympic fixture.

The 2028 edition promises to give the sport a fresh global push, opening the door to a new audience and a new era for cricket.