Olympics debut to be a game-changer for cricket
NEW DELHI : Cricket fans worldwide have a reason to celebrate as the sport will debut at the LA Olympics in 2028. This is also expected to attract new cricket enthusiasts and promote global infrastructure development for the sport, apart from having a significant economic impact, said experts. Team India is poised to play a crucial role as one of the six teams representing cricket at the 2028 Olympics.
To make this a reality, the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, is collaborating with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Over the last two years, ICC developed a proposal to facilitate this inclusion. However, it also entails mandatory doping tests for the Men in Blue.
The Olympic Games, with an estimated 3 billion viewers across TV and digital, offers an unparalleled opportunity for cricket to shine on the global stage and potentially reach a wider audience. Cricket is the most popular sport in the Indian subcontinent and a few other South Asian countries, but it doesn’t rank among the top two sports even for many cricket-playing nations. Besides, of late, a significant number of younger fans have shifted away from the 50-over One Day International format, leading to the rise of the T20 format.
The ICC has also been working to enhance the sport’s popularity globally. As a part of its efforts it is hosting the upcoming T20 World Cup in US and West Indies. “We are thrilled that cricket’s inclusion in LA28 Olympic Games was confirmed by the IOC Session today.
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