Cricket event at 2028 LA Olympics to begin on July 12; Schedule unveiled- Reports

The much-awaited return of cricket to the Olympics at the LA Games will begin on July 12 at the Fairgrounds Stadium in Pomona, around 50 kilometers from Los Angeles. The medal matches are scheduled for July 20 and 29, 2028.

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The quadrennial showcase, which hosted cricket for the first and only time in 1900, will feature 180 players competing in the T20 format, with six men's and six women's teams.

According to the competition schedule made public by the organizers, no games are scheduled for July 14 or 21. Six men's and women's teams will compete with each other in a T20 competition with double headers on most days.

The gentleman's game was only ever played at the Olympics in Paris in 1900. In a two-day competition, just two teams participated—Great Britain and France, with the former taking home the gold medal.

Schedule for Cricket in the LA Olympics in 2028

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With 90 athlete quotas distributed across the men’s and women’s categories, each of the 12 participating teams can field squads of 15 players.

Cricket’s rising global appeal was evident as three venues in the United States — Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York — hosted multiple matches during the 2024 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the inclusion of five new sports for the 2028 Olympics: cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.

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"When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighbourhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy.

"We are already delivering that legacy as we announce that there have been more than one million enrolments in PlayLA. I want to thank LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for making these programs possible and for their continued work to host the greatest Games yet," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a statement.

According to local Los Angeles time, the doubleheader games are set to begin at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM, which corresponds to 9:30 PM and 7:00 AM (the next day) according to Indian Standard Time.  Cricket matches are planned for July 14 and July 21. The ICC will finalize the qualification pathways for all 12 teams (six women's and six men's) in due time.

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