A significant update has been reported regarding the return of cricket to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Qualification tournaments for both men's and women's Olympic cricket are scheduled for January-February 2028.
According to a Cricinfo report, the International Cricket Council (ICC) shared a list of global tournaments with its member boards following meetings held in Dubai in October, including the dates for qualifications.
The report states that eight teams will participate in the qualifications for both divisions, which will be finally determined based on the ICC rankings. Cricket will return to the 2028 Olympics after more than a century.
In the women's division, four teams have already secured spots in the tournament, including India. These teams—India, Australia, South Africa, and Great Britain—qualified based on their highest continental rankings achieved during the recent T20 World Cup.
In the men's division, the top four teams will be included in the Olympic squad, based on the rankings across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania as of December 31, 2026. The host nation of America will be considered eligible to participate in both the men's and women's divisions provided it secures a spot in the top 15 of the rankings between June 30, 2026, and December 31, 2026.
If America fails to meet this ranking condition by December 31, 2026, its place in the women's division will be determined based on the ICC Women's Championship 2027 table, with a cut-off date set for March 1, 2027.
Furthermore, the report indicates that numerous major tournaments are planned between 2027 and 2031, including One Day International World Cups, seven women's tournaments, and five U-19 tournaments, some of which include qualifiers. While the ICC approved many major competitions back in 2021, the dates for some events are still pending.
It was also announced that the final of the 2029 Test World Championship (WTC) will take place in England from June 8 to June 12.