Cricket’s LA28 Olympic return qualification pathway confirmed

By Rohan Gupta — 29 June 2026 — 3 min read

Qualification Details for Cricket’s Olympic Return

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have confirmed the qualification pathway for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in 2028. Both men’s and women’s tournaments will feature six teams each. This marks cricket’s return to the Olympics after a significant period.

For the women’s competition, four teams have already secured their places. These include Australia from Oceania, India from Asia, South Africa from Africa, and a ‘Team GB‘ side representing Europe. These qualifications are based on their performances in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, with a cut-off date at the end of the tournament.

Australia’s women’s team is currently at the top of the women’s T20I rankings, ahead of England and India. They have maintained an undefeated record in the group stage of the T20 World Cup and are scheduled to play a semi-final against the West Indies. The teams that have qualified cannot be displaced from their current positions based on the remaining games in the T20 World Cup.

Men’s Tournament Qualification and Host Nation Spot

The qualification for the men’s tournament will see four spots decided through the ICC Men’s T20I rankings. These spots are reserved for the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania as of December 31, 2026. India, the reigning world champion and currently the top-ranked men’s T20I side, is leading the race for qualification from Asia. Pakistan is the next highest-ranked Asian team.

Australia’s men’s team is in a strong position to secure the Oceania berth. Following a 3-0 win against Bangladesh and the ICC’s annual May 1 adjustment, they hold a 13-point lead over New Zealand in the ICC’s T20I team rankings. Similarly, South Africa is also in a strong position for the African spot, with a significant lead over Zimbabwe.

The host nation, the United States, has been allocated the fifth Olympic spot for both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions. This is contingent on them achieving a top 15 position in the ICC’s team rankings at any point before December 31 this year. The USA women’s team is currently ranked 20th in women’s T20Is, and they do not have any matches scheduled for the remainder of 2026. If the USA women’s team does not meet the ranking requirement, their spot will be allocated to the next highest-placed team not yet qualified on March 1 next year, regardless of continent. New Zealand currently occupies this position as the fourth-ranked team in women’s T20Is.

Global Qualifier and Tournament Structure

The sixth and final spot in both the men’s and women’s competitions will be determined through the ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027. This event will feature eight teams in each category. The West Indies, representing multiple Caribbean nations, is ineligible to participate directly in the Olympic Games. However, if their men’s or women’s teams are among the eight highest-ranked non-qualified sides by December 31, 2026, a dedicated Caribbean qualifier will be held to determine which nation will compete in the ICC Olympics Qualifier.

The tournament structure for the Olympic Games will involve qualified nations selecting a squad of 15 players. Teams will be divided into two groups of three. Each team will play each other once within their group, followed by two additional matches against teams from the opposite group that did not finish in the same position. After four round-robin games, the top two teams will compete for the gold and silver medals, while the third and fourth-placed nations will play for bronze.

A combined total of 28 matches will be played across both the men’s and women’s events. All games are scheduled to take place at a purpose-built cricket venue in Pomona, located approximately 50km east of downtown Los Angeles. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta stated that this qualification structure aims to optimize competitive standards and global representation within the IOC and LA28 participation guidelines, leveraging existing ICC elite competition structures and introducing a new qualification event.

Source: cricket.com.au

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter