ICC moves Olympic cricket qualifiers for LA 2028 to January-February 2028

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the schedule of the qualifiers for the cricket tournament at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The qualifiers were earlier to be held in 2027, but will now take place in January-February 2028. This means both men's and women's teams will have to take the field to qualify only a few months before the Olympics begin. The change is expected to make the contest for the remaining Olympic places tougher.

Cricket returns to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028. Six teams each in the men's and women's sections will play for medals. Cricket was earlier part of the 1900 Paris Olympics, so the sport gets a chance to play on the Olympic stage again after a wait of 128 years.

Four teams have already secured their places in the women's section. India, Australia, South Africa and England have qualified on the strength of their performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. The remaining places will be decided through the qualification process.

The United States women's team could get a chance to qualify directly. For that, it must finish among the top 15 teams in the ICC T20 International rankings between June 30 and December 31, 2026. However, it is reported that if the US women's team fails to make the rankings, the ICC has changed the rule for the fifth place. Under the new rule, that place could be decided on the basis of performance in the Women's Champions Trophy to be held next year.

For the men's Olympic cricket tournament, the ICC T20 International rankings of December 31, 2026 will be crucial. Among the teams already qualified from the Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania regions, the top-ranked teams are to be given direct entry.

The US men's team is also likely to qualify directly on the basis of rankings. The US men's team is currently ranked 13th, while the women's team is ranked 19th.

Eight teams each will take part in the qualifiers for the men's and women's sections. Excluding the teams that qualify directly, the seven highest-ranked teams under the qualification rules and the winner of the Caribbean Regional Qualifier will be part of the process. However, the final picture of the teams and the details of qualification will be settled only after the official announcement.

The teams that win these qualifiers will get the sixth place at the Olympics. The final venue for the men's and women's matches has not been decided yet.

The men's and women's T20 World Cups are also due in 2028. The Women's T20 World Cup will be held in Pakistan from September 7 to October 1, while the Men's T20 World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand from October 12 to November 12. With World Cups on one side and the fight for Olympic qualification on the other, 2028 will be a very important year for international cricket.