ICC confirms qualification pathway for cricket’s LA28 Olympic return

By Sanjay Menon — 29 June 2026 — 4 min read

Cricket’s Return to the Olympics

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have announced the qualification pathway for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028. This marks cricket’s comeback to the Olympics after a 128-year absence. Both the men’s and women’s competitions will feature six teams each.

All cricket matches for Los Angeles 2028 are scheduled to be played at a purpose-built venue in Pomona, located within Los Angeles County.

Women’s Qualification Pathway

In the women’s event, four teams have already secured their places based on their performance in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. These teams are the highest-placed eligible finishers from their respective continental regions:

• Australia (Oceania)
• Great Britain (via England) (Europe)
• India (Asia)
• South Africa (Africa)

England is considered for qualification as Great Britain participates in the Olympics, and only one British nation is taken into account for quotas. The Indian women’s cricket team has thus secured a spot, while Australia, South Africa, and England also appear to have grabbed early slots after qualifying for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.

The USA, as the host nation, is eligible for automatic qualification in both the men’s and women’s competitions. This is contingent on the USA meeting the requirement of being ranked among the top 15 ICC T20I teams at any point between June 30, 2026, and December 31, 2026.

Men’s Qualification Pathway and Final Spots

For the men’s competition, four qualification spots will be determined by 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. The reigning world champion, India, currently holds the top spot in the men’s T20I rankings and is leading the race for qualification. Pakistan, the next highest-ranked Asian team, is currently positioned sixth.

The sixth and final spot in both the men’s and women’s competitions will be decided through the ICC Olympics Qualifier 2027. This qualifier will feature eight teams in each event, comprising the next eight highest-ranked eligible teams that have not yet qualified based on rankings.

The West Indies is ineligible to participate in the Olympic Games as it represents multiple Caribbean nations and is not recognized as an IOC National Olympic Committee (NOC). The West Indies comprises several NOCs, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands, which do not compete individually in ICC events.

However, if either the West Indies 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 conducted. This regional tournament would determine which nation will compete in the ICC Olympics Qualifier. The West Indies is also currently in the semifinals of the ongoing T20 World Cup.

The cut-off date for the men’s ranking-based qualification is December 31, 2026.

Host Nation and Regional Considerations

The USA is guaranteed one quota place each in the men’s and women’s competitions as the host country, provided they satisfy the ICC criteria of appearing on a ranking of 15 or better in the rankings during the qualification period. This period extends from June 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026.

The qualification criteria for women allocated four quota places to the highest-placed eligible NOCs taken continentally at the T20 World Cup. This means the top-standing NOC from different continents at the conclusion of the competition will secure a spot. Each eligible team will obtain one quota place for its NOC.

The Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOGQT) will be held separately for both genders, with dates yet to be finalized. There is no maximum limit on continental representation that applies to the final qualifier.

The Indian men’s team will need to be Asia’s highest-ranked team in the ICC T20 rankings at the end of 2026 to gain automatic qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.

The ICC stated that the four quota slots for men will be allocated to the highest-ranked eligible NOCs continentally from the ICC Men’s T20 Team Rankings. For women, the four quota places will be allocated to the highest-placed eligible NOCs taken continentally at the T20 World Cup.

The Indian women’s team has already secured a place in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Source: thehindu.com