New Delhi: The qualifiers for the Los Angeles Olympic Games have been pushed back to January, February 2028 as teams will battle it out to participate in the cricket event at the Games.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier decided to conduct the men’s and women’s qualifiers in 2027 to decide the final berths across the two categories for the Los Angeles Games.
However, as per a report in Cricinfo, the qualifiers have now been shifted to early 2028, which will be less than six months before the Olympics are played in June.
With cricket returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, six teams each in men’s and women’s cricket will be vying for prestigious medals.
For women’s Olympics, four teams - Australia, India, South Africa and Great Britain - have already confirmed their places in the LA2028 due to their performance at the T20 World Cup 2026.
For the men’s competition, the highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania in the ICC T20I rankings as of 31 December 2026 will earn direct entries to the Olympics.
USA can secure the fifth automatic slot in men’s and women’s competitions if they are ranked in the top 15 during any time in the qualification period from June 30, 2026 to December 31, 2026. While the USA men’s team is ranked 13th, giving them assurance of a qualification, the women’s side is currently 19th. IANS
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