Cricket Match Dates Announced for LA28 Olympics: Full Details Inside

The Sport ‘Cricket’ will make a historic comeback in the Summer Olympics 2028 in Los Angeles after a prolonged absence of 128 years. This will be only the second time that cricket features in the Olympics. The first time was way back in 1900 in Paris. That time, only two teams played Great Britain and France. Great Britain won the gold medal in a two-day match.

This time, the competition is expected to be much bigger. Cricket has grown a lot since 1900. It is now one of the most popular sports in the world.
The popularity of cricket in the United States is also growing. In June 2024, the USA co-hosted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies. Matches were held in Grand Prairie (Texas), Lauderhill (Florida), and New York.

The decision to include cricket in the Olympics 2028 was made in October 2023. The IOC approved five new sports for the Los Angeles Games, cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.

LA28 Olympics Cricket Schedule

According to the LA28 Olympics cricket schedule, the competition will start on July 12, 2028. The medal matches will take place on July 20 and 29. This is a big moment for cricket fans across the world as the sport makes its long-awaited appearance at the biggest spectacle. This will help the game of cricket grow even more in the future.

Most matches will be double-headers and there will be no games on July 14 and 21. The matches will be played at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM local time, respectively. The same schedule will be followed for the medal games as well. The full schedule isn't out yet but it will be released as the games progress closer.

LA28 Olympics Cricket Venue

After cricket's official entry into the LA28 Olympcs, one of the biggest queries for the fans was about the venue for the sport. Since USA isn't known to host a lot of cricket matches, the selection of venue was a concerns. However, the name of the venue has been revealed now.

All matches will be played at Fairgrounds Stadium in the city of Pomona, which is located about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles. It will be a temporary venue just for these Olympic games, just like the stadium in New York, which was used for the T20 World Cup 2024.

LA28 Olympics Cricket Teams

There will be six teams each in the men’s and women’s events for the LA28 Olympics cricket. That means a total of 12 teams will take part across both the categories. The format of the competition will be T20, which is the shortest recognised format in international cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Each team will have 15 players. So, 180 cricketers in total will take part in the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved 90 athlete spots for men and 90 for women. The teams haven't been finalised yet but they will be decided on the basis of their ICC rankings. Top cricketing nations like India, England, Australia, and South Africa are expected to feature. The USA is also likely to play as the host nation. Superstar players like Shubman Gill, Travis Head, Jos Buttler, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to feature in the competition

The move to include cricket was welcomed by many in the cricketing world. It is seen as a step towards making the sport truly global. Many believe this will boost cricket’s reach in new countries like the USA and help grow the sport. Cricket’s Olympic comeback is seen as a historic step. For the first time in over a century, cricket will be played for the Olympic gold.