2028 Olympics: Cricket Returns After More Than 100 Years

The 2026 Winter Olympics might be done, but cricket is coming back in a big way.

NHL players came back to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014. NHLers were the focus at these Olympics. Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils stole the show by scoring the golden goal, which secured Team USA’s gold medal in men’s hockey. Despite the disappointment of winning silver, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers walked away as the Olympics MVP.

However, the next time the Olympics are held, cricket players will be joining (and it won’t be the first time they have competed). And the best part is that cricket fans won’t need to wait until the 2030 Winter Olympics to see T20 cricket in action.

Cricket Making a Return at the Next Olympics

After 128 years, cricket will make a return to the Olympics. The 2028 Summer Olympics, to be held in Los Angeles, USA, will feature cricket as an event.

According to the Olympics website, cricket will begin on July 12th, 2028. The medal matches will be scheduled between July 20th and 29th.

The website also provides information about the pitch cricketers will play on: “All cricket matches at the LA 2028 Olympics will be held in a temporary, purpose-built venue at the Fairgrounds in Pomona – a city located about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles.”

There will be a six-team tournament for both the men’s and women’s events.

When Was the Last Time That Cricket Was at the Olympics?

The last, and only time, that cricket has been at the Olympics was in Paris, 1900. Only two countries competed at those games, Great Britain and France. Great Britain won gold in the event.

At the time, Test cricket was the format being played. When cricket makes its triumphant return in 2028, it will be the newer (and much shorter) T20 format that will be played.

What is T20 Cricket?

T20 cricket (which is short for 20-20 cricket) is the shortest format of the sport. There are Test matches and One-Day International matches, each lasting either 1 or 5 days. On the other hand, a T20 cricket match can last anywhere from two to four hours. This largely depends on how the match plays out.

The easiest way to explain cricket is this: it’s a different form of baseball. However, it’s a more nuanced sport than that.

T20 is not limited by time; it’s limited by the number of balls thrown. A T20 match consists of 20 “overs.” Six balls thrown count as an over.

In T20 cricket, each team plays one inning. An inning lasts for 20 overs (120 balls thrown) or 10 outs, whichever happens first.

There are many more nuances to the game of T20 cricket, but that is the very basics to help you better understand this global game.

Where Can I Watch T20 Cricket?

Fans of the Olympics can easily familiarize themselves with T20 cricket. In fact, the biggest international cricket tournament is currently underway, with the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

The tournament started with 20 teams, featuring teams from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, the USA, and New Zealand, among others.

The T20 World Cup is in the “Super 8” portion of the tournament, which is the playoffs before the semi-final and final matches. Games can be seen on Fubo, Willow, and ICC.TV, and other streaming channels.

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