The ICC has announced Bangladesh and the USA as hosts of the men’s and women’s cricket qualifying tournaments for the LA28 OlympicsThe men’s event will take place in February 2028, followed by the women’s competition later that month.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/cricket/la28-olympics-bangladesh-usa-to-host-mens-and-womens-cricket-qualifiers-icc-confirms-dates-8545178/
LA28 Olympics cricket qualifiers to be hosted by Bangladesh and the USA in 2028(Photo: X)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed Bangladesh and the United States as the hosts of the final qualifying tournaments for cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic GamesThe two countries will stage the men’s and women’s events in February and March 2028, with the winners earning the last available places at the Olympics.
According to the schedule announced by the ICC on Sunday, the men’s qualifying tournament will take place in Bangladesh from February 5 to 13, 2028The women’s event will follow in the USA from February 26 to March 5.
Cricket is set to return to the Olympic Games after a gap of 128 yearsThe sport last featured at the 1900 Paris Olympics, making its inclusion in the Los Angeles edition a major moment for the game.
Eight Teams To Compete In Each Olympic Qualifier
Both the men’s and women’s qualifying tournaments will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of fourEach side will play the other three teams in its group once during the opening round.
The two group winners will then face each other in the finalThe winner of that match will secure the last qualification spot for the respective Olympic competition.
Each tournament will have 13 matches, including the group-stage fixtures and the finalThese events will serve as the final stage of the qualification process for the LA28 Games.
The ICC said in its announcement that the tournaments will determine the final teams to join the Olympic cricket competitions.
India Women’s Team Already Through To LA28
India have already secured a place in the women’s cricket competition at the 2028 OlympicsAustralia, South Africa and Great Britain have also qualified after finishing as the highest-ranked eligible teams from their respective regions at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The men’s qualification process will be based on the ICC T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026The highest-ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania will earn direct qualification, while the USA will also have a chance to qualify as the host nation, subject to meeting the ICC’s ranking requirements.
The men’s and women’s T20 events at the Los Angeles Olympics will feature six teams eachThe remaining places will be filled by the ICC’s qualification process.
Cricket Set For Historic Olympic Return
Cricket’s return to the Olympics is expected to give the sport greater international exposure and provide more countries with an opportunity to compete on a global stage.
The LA28 edition will feature men’s and women’s T20 competitions, bringing the sport back to the Olympic programme more than a century after its previous appearance.
With the final qualifying events now confirmed, teams will have a clearer idea of the road ahead as they prepare to compete for a place at the Los Angeles Games.
