The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have officially confirmed how teams will qualify for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). The announcement was made on Monday, June 29, and also introduced the first-ever ICC Olympics Qualifier, which will decide the final places in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Cricket will return to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than 100 years, with six teams taking part in both the Men’s and Women’s T20 tournaments. All matches will be played at a purpose-built cricket stadium in Pomona, Los Angeles.
Five of the six places in each event will be decided through existing ICC tournaments and the ICC T20I rankings. The sixth and final place in both the men’s and women’s competitions will be decided through the newly introduced ICC Olympics Qualifier, which will be held in 2027.
The ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has already confirmed the first four teams for the women’s Olympic event. Australia, Great Britain (through England), India and South Africa have qualified as the highest-placed teams from Oceania, Europe, Asia and Africa.
As the host nation, the USA can qualify directly for both the men’s and women’s competitions. However, they must also be inside the top 15 of the ICC T20I rankings by December 31, 2026.
If the USA women’s team does not meet that requirement, the extra automatic qualification place will go to the highest-ranked team from any continent that has not already qualified, based on the ICC Women’s T20I rankings on March 1, 2027.
The ICC also explained the special situation involving the West Indies. Since the West Indies represent several Caribbean countries and are not recognised as a single National Olympic Committee (NOC), they cannot take part as one team at the Olympic Games.
However, if either the West Indies men’s or women’s team finishes among the eight highest-ranked teams that have not yet qualified by December 31, 2026, the ICC will organise a separate Caribbean Qualifier. The winning nation from that tournament will represent the Caribbean at the ICC Olympics Qualifier.
The first-ever ICC Olympics Qualifier in 2027 will feature eight teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Seven teams will qualify for that event based on the ICC T20I rankings after removing the teams that have already secured Olympic places. The ICC will announce the dates and host country later.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah welcomed the announcement and said, “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 is an important step towards Los Angeles 2028 and gives Members across the world a clear and exciting route to the Olympic stage.
“The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of multi-event sport, and cricket’s inclusion at LA28 will inspire players and fans in every region. This is an historic moment, and one of great opportunity for our Members, as we continue to grow the game and take it to new audiences around the world.”
The six teams at the Olympic Games will be divided into two groups of three teams. Every team will play the other two teams in its group once. After that, each team will play two more matches against teams from the other group that finished in different positions. The top two teams at the end of this stage will play for the gold and silver medals, while the teams finishing third and fourth will compete for the bronze medal. Every country that qualifies for the Olympic Games will be allowed to choose a squad of 15 players for the tournament.
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