Cricket is all set to be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, making it the first time since 1900 that the sport will be played at the event.
According to the Guardian, following intense discussions between the LA Olympic programme commission and the International Olympic Committee, the decision to include cricket was confirmed, with the decision expected to be made public within the next 24 hours.
The IOC’s desire to tap into the huge Indian cricket market led to conversations with the ICC, who proposed a six-team event for both men and women in the 2028 Olympics. The competition is expected to be held in the T20 format, keeping in mind the guidelines of the Olympics, where a sport can be included only if they conduct a world championship (which rules out T10) and one that has a compact duration (unlike Tests or ODIs).
The ICC has also selected six teams following the IOC’s request that the quality of the event should not be compromised. To ensure this, the ICC is likely to decide on a cut-off date for the men and women team rankings.
Cricket’s inclusion will increase the broadcast rights of the event in India approximately 10 times. The current rights for the 2024 Paris Olympics have been sold to India for 15 million pounds, which could go up to 150 million pounds if cricket was to be played in Los Angeles.
The only other time cricket was played in the Olympics was in 1900, when only the men’s event was played. Only two teams competed – Great Britain and France, with Great Britain winning Gold. The match was a 12-a-side game, spanning two days, with both teams batting twice each.
