Cricket is set to make its historic return to the Olympics after 128 years at the LA 2028 Games, with competitions scheduled to begin on July 12. The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that both men’s and women’s T20 format tournaments will be held, featuring six teams each competing for gold, silver, and bronze medals, with the medal matches scheduled for July 20 and 29 at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.The Fairgrounds Stadium in Pomena, located approximately 50 kilometers from Los Angeles, will serve as the cricket venue for the Games. Officially named Fairplex, the facility spans nearly 500 acres, and has been hosting the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922 and regularly serves as a location for various events including concerts, trade shows, sporting events, and cultural gatherings.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The competition schedule released by the LA 2028 organisers reveals that most matchdays will feature double headers, with games starting at 9:00 AM (9:30pm IST) and 6:30pm (7am next day) local time. The organisers have specifically noted that no cricket matches will be scheduled on July 14 and 21 during the Olympics.Both events will allocate 90 athlete quotas per gender, allowing teams to field 15-member squads.Cricket’s previous, and only, Olympic appearance was at Paris 1900, where only two teams – Great Britain and France – competed in a one-off two-day match, now recognised as an unofficial Test. Great Britain emerged victorious, claiming the gold medal.
The sport’s inclusion in LA 2028 follows its growing presence in major multi-sport events. Cricket has previously featured in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur for men, while women’s cricket made its Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022.The T20 format has also been part of the Asian Games, with both men’s and women’s tournaments held in 2010, 2014, and 2023.READ | Satya Nadella column: Cricket in USA a homecoming, not arrivalCricket joins four other new sports approved by the IOC for LA 2028, including baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash. Squash, another new Olympic sport expected to draw significant Indian interest, will hold its events at the Universal City Squash Center in Los Angeles from July 15, with medal matches scheduled for July 23 and 24.Cricket’s growing presence in the United States is evident from the hosting of several 2024 T20 World Cup matches across three venues – Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York, as part of the tournament jointly hosted with the West Indies.
