Cricket will be one of five new sports at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, according to organisers, who made the announcement on Monday.
IOC approves cricket for Olympics: A vote at the Mumbai session of the International Olympic Committee authorized cricket, along with baseball/softball, flag football, squash, and lacrosse.
“LA organizers proposed the shortest format of the sport, Twenty20 cricket, and the IOC executive board accepted it last week, along with the four other new events.”
“However, the IOC session in Mumbai, one of the world’s cricket capitals, had to decide on the ultimate decision since India is hosting the men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup.”
The Los Angeles Chiefs have suggested both a men’s and a women’s T20 cricket event with six teams.
The United States, as the host country, is scheduled to field teams, although no final decision has been made regarding the number of teams or the qualification process.
The last time cricket was a part of an Olympic event was in 1900 in Paris, where a British team defeated a French side. Financially speaking, bringing cricket to the Olympic programming is a no-brainer.
It will draw admirers from nations like Pakistan and India by tapping into the wealthy South Asian market.
Thanks to throngs of fans and huge media deals in a country where the sport is practically a religion, India has become the undisputed economic powerhouse of cricket thanks to the Indian Premier League, which features the game’s international giants.