GUWAHATI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, June 29, announced the qualification pathway for cricket's return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), including the introduction of the first-ever ICC Olympics Qualifier.
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Six teams each will compete in the men's and women's T20 tournaments at LA28. Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania are each guaranteed at least one representative in both events.
For the men's competition, five of the six participating teams will qualify through the ICC Men's T20I rankings. The highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania as of December 31, 2026, will secure Olympic berths, provided they are ranked within the top 15 globally.
As the host nation, the United States will also be eligible to qualify for both the men's and women's competitions, subject to being among the top 15 teams in the respective ICC T20I rankings by the December 31, 2026 cut-off.
The remaining teams will be decided through the inaugural ICC Olympics Qualifier. Seven teams in both the men's and women's events will earn places in the qualifier based on the ICC T20I rankings, excluding teams that have already secured direct qualification for LA28.
Welcoming the announcement, ICC Chairman Jay Shah described cricket's return to the Olympics as a historic milestone for the sport.
"Cricket's return to the Olympic Games is a landmark moment for our sport and a powerful opportunity to showcase the very best of cricket to the world. The confirmation of this qualification pathway gives Members across the world a clear and exciting route to the Olympic stage," Shah said.
ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said the Olympics would provide cricket with an unprecedented platform to reach new audiences while helping expand the game globally.
Cricket will return to the Olympic Games at LA28 for the first time since it was last played at the 1900 Paris Olympics.