LA Olympics 2028: The race for cricket's return to the Olympic Games has undergone a scheduling change, with the men's and women's qualification tournaments moved to January and February 2028. The revised window leaves teams with less than six months to secure the final places for the Los Angeles Olympics, scheduled for June 2028.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had initially planned to hold the qualifiers in 2027. However, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the tournaments have now been pushed into the early months of 2028. Six teams will compete in each Olympic cricket event, with the final places decided through a combination of direct qualification and separate eight-team qualifiers.

India Among Four Teams Already Qualified For Women's Cricket

India have already secured a place in the women's Olympic competition, alongside Australia, South Africa and Great Britain. Their qualification follows their performances at the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, according to the IANS report.

The United States could claim another automatic place in both the men's and women's events if their respective teams finish inside the top 15 of the ICC T20I rankings during the qualification period, which runs from June 30 to December 31, 2026.

The US men's team is currently ranked 13th, putting it in a favourable position to meet the ranking requirement. The women's side, however, sits 19th and faces a more difficult task.

The ICC has also revised the contingency plan for the fifth women's Olympic berth. If the US women's team fails to meet the top-15 requirement, the place will now be determined through the standings at next year's Women's Champions Trophy, ESPNcricinfo reported. The earlier criterion had reportedly involved the highest-ranked non-qualified team in the ICC T20I rankings as of March 1, 2027.

How The Final Olympic Cricket Places Will Be Decided

The men's qualification system will use the ICC T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026, to allocate direct places to the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The United States could take the fifth automatic place if it meets the ranking requirement.

The remaining place in each competition will go to the winner of the respective Olympic qualifier. Both tournaments will feature eight teams, comprising the seven highest-ranked eligible sides outside the automatic qualifiers and the winner of the Caribbean Regional Qualifier.

The venues for the Olympic cricket matches have not yet been confirmed. The format will bring six teams into each competition, with every participant competing for an Olympic medal.

Cricket Returns To The Olympics After More Than A Century

Los Angeles 2028 will mark cricket's return to the Olympic programme after a gap of 128 years. The sport appeared at the 1900 Paris Olympics, its only previous Olympic outing, before being selected for the Los Angeles Games.

The qualification process will unfold alongside a busy international calendar in 2028. Pakistan is scheduled to host the Women's T20 World Cup from September 7 to October 1, while Australia and New Zealand will stage the men's T20 World Cup from October 12 to November 12.

With the Olympic qualifiers now scheduled for early 2028, teams outside the confirmed places will have limited time to secure their route to Los Angeles.