Cricket confirmed for 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

It is one of five sports accepted for the Los Angeles games, alongside flag football, squash, lacrosse and baseball/softball, with men's and women's T20 competitions proposed

Cricket will feature at the Olympics for the first time since 1900 after the International Olympic Committee voted to include the sport in the programme for the 2028 event.

It is one of five sports accepted for the Los Angeles games, alongside flag football, squash, lacrosse and baseball/softball, with men's and women's T20 competitions proposed.

Only two delegates voted against the new sports during the IOC member voting session in Mumbai on October 16.

Cricket last featured at the Olympics in 1900, although Great Britain and France, who won the gold medal, were the only teams to participate in the sport.

Last year, the sport returned to the Commonwealth Games with a women's T20 competition at Birmingham 2022 – it previously featured as a men's competition at Kuala Lumpur in 1998. Cricket was added to the Asian Games in 2010.

^{Cricket returned to the Commonwealth Games in 2022 [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

^{LA28 is expected to feature both men's and women's T20 events [Quinn Rooney/Getty Images]}

Niccolo Campriani, sports director of the LA Local Organising Committee, said the Olympics will provide the sport with a "global stage to grow beyond the traditional cricket countries".

"We are thrilled to welcome the world's second-most popular sport with an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide," Campriani said.

"Some of you might be wondering why in LA? Well, the commitment to grow cricket in the US is real, and it's already happening with the launch of the very first Major League Cricket season earlier this year, which exceeded all expectations. And the [men's] T20 World Cup in 2024 coming to US and West Indies."

On what cricket will bring to the Olympics, he added: "We all recognise the critical importance of a strong digital presence in order to keep the games relevant for the youth. And cricket is offering a unique platform to do so.

"Think [about] my friend here Virat. He's the third-most followed athlete in the world on social media with 314 million followers. That's more than LeBron James, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods combined. This is the ultimate win-win for LA 28.

"The IOC and the cricket community as cricket will be showcased on a global stage to grow beyond the traditional cricket countries, while the Olympic movement gains access to previously untapped communities of athletes and fans. It's a great example of how one can reach the other."