Los Angeles: Cricket’s Olympic qualification pathway confirmed for LA28 Games

By Sanjay Menon — 29 June 2026 — 4 min read

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have officially outlined the qualification process for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at LA28. This pathway includes the introduction of the first-ever ICC Olympics Qualifier, scheduled for 2027.

Both the Men’s and Women’s T20 competitions will feature six nations, with all matches set to be played at a specially constructed cricket venue in Pomona. Five of these qualification spots for each event will be determined through a combination of existing ICC events and ICC T20I rankings. The final sixth place in both the Men’s and Women’s competitions will be decided by the new ICC Olympics Qualifier.

Women’s Qualification Details

For the women’s tournament, the first participants for LA28 have already been confirmed through the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. Australia, Great Britain (represented by England), India, and South Africa have secured their spots as the highest-placed teams from Oceania, Asia, Europe, and Africa, respectively. Australia, for instance, has gone undefeated in the group stage of the T20 World Cup and is currently ranked first in women’s T20Is.

The United States, as the host nation, is eligible to qualify for the women’s event if they are within the top 15 of the relevant ICC T20I rankings by December 31, 2026. If the USA women’s team does not meet this criterion, a fifth automatic qualification spot will be awarded to the highest-placed non-qualified nation in the ICC T20I rankings from any continent as of March 1, 2027. Currently, the USA women’s team is ranked 20th.

Individual Caribbean nations, which comprise West Indies cricket, will participate in their own regional tournament. The winner of this event will advance to an eight-team global qualifying event to determine the sixth and final Olympic entrant.

Men’s Qualification Details

In the men’s competition, five of the six nations will be determined by ICC Men’s T20I rankings. The highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania on December 31, 2026, will progress to LA28, provided they are within the top 15 of the rankings. Australia’s men’s team is well-positioned to claim the Oceania spot, currently holding a 13-point lead over New Zealand in the ICC’s T20I team rankings following their 3-0 win in Bangladesh.

Similarly, India is expected to secure the Asia berth, given their 32-point lead over Pakistan. South Africa is also in a strong position with a 42-point lead over Zimbabwe. The United States, as the host nation, will claim the Americas spot if they are ranked within the top 15, which they currently are at 13th.

If the USA men’s team does not meet the ranking criteria, the fifth automatic qualification spot will be allocated to the next-highest-ranked nation from any continent that has not already qualified by December 31, 2026. Like the women’s side, individual Caribbean nations will compete in an inter-island tournament, with the winner progressing to an eight-team global qualifying event.

The ICC Olympics Qualifier and Tournament Structure

The sixth and final place for both the Men’s and Women’s competitions will be decided at the first ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027. This event will feature eight nations in both Men’s and Women’s fields. Seven teams in each ICC Olympics Qualifier will be the next highest-ranked teams on the relevant ICC T20I rankings, excluding those already qualified for the LA28 Olympic Games.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah stated that cricket’s return to the Olympic Games is a landmark moment, offering a powerful opportunity to showcase the sport globally. He also noted that the confirmation of this qualification pathway is an important step towards LA28, providing members worldwide with a clear route to the Olympic stage. ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta added that the qualification structure is designed to optimize competitive standards and global representation within the IOC and LA28 participation guidelines.

Once qualified, the six teams in the Olympic competition will be divided into groups of three. Each team will play each other once before playing two further matches against teams in the opposite group who did not finish in the same position. The top two teams will then compete for gold and silver medals, while the third and fourth nations will play for bronze. Nations qualifying for the Games will be able to select from a squad of 15 players.

A total of 28 matches will be played across both the men’s and women’s events, all at the purpose-built cricket venue in Pomona, located approximately 50km east of downtown Los Angeles. The date and host nation for the ICC Olympics Qualifier are yet to be confirmed.

Source: icc-cricket.com