For over a century, cricket lived outside the Olympic rings, admired by millions, yet absent from the greatest sporting spectacle on earth. Now, after 128 long years, the gentleman’s game is finally coming home.
When cricket takes the field at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, it won’t just mark a new chapter in sport, it will close one of history’s oldest gaps. The last time cricket featured in the Olympics was at the 1900 Paris Games, where only four teams took part. Since then, the world has changed, cricket has evolved and billions have fallen in love with the sport, but the Olympics always felt like the one stage it never stood upon. Until now.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has welcomed the re-inclusion of cricket in the Olympics, ICC chief Jay Shah has emphasised that its inclusion will provide unparalleled exposure in untapped markets, benefiting the sport's ecosystem and infrastructure.
“It's great tidings for India as we have a great cricket team and some superb up-and-coming players with a lot of potential,” says Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra. “This will also improve the worldwide appeal of the game.”
This long-awaited return has stirred emotions across continents, from dusty school grounds to glittering stadiums, from young dreamers to legends who once carried the Tricolour. For every cricketer, just the thought of walking into the Olympic Village, among athletes from every discipline, is a feeling beyond words.
Few understand that sentiment better than Sagi Lakshmi Venkatapathy Raju, India’s former left-arm spinner who has seen the sport in its most unifying form. Raju has been part of the Asian Games as a technical adviser for cricket, an experience he describes as life-changing.
“I was a technical adviser at the Asian Games, and that in itself was incredible, a celebration of unity and diversity,” Raju recalls. “But the Olympics… that’s different. It’s a God-given opportunity for cricket to finally become part of that global family. For the sport, it’s nothing short of a blessing.”
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Cricket’s inclusion in the T20 format at Pomona, a city located east of Los Angeles, from July 12, 2028, is timely, a perfect blend of modern pace and Olympic spirit. It is a format that mirrors the energy of today’s audiences: quick, exciting and full of possibilities.
“This is special because cricket has finally found its place among the world’s greatest sports,” says Raju with pride. “It unites athletes from different corners of the world, just like the Olympics do.”
Raju still treasures his encounters with global icons who have made it big in the Olympics arena. “I remember meeting Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the fastest humans on earth. Watching them compete, you realise the sheer power of that platform. You feel it in your chest, that pulse of greatness.”
When cricket makes its way back into Olympics, it won’t just be about bat and ball. It will be about belonging, about seeing one of the world’s most beloved games share the stage with every sport that defines human endurance and excellence. For every cricketer who’s ever dreamed of representing their nation, this is the moment that turns a career into a legacy. Because Olympics is not just a celebration of victory, but a celebration of history as well.
By Joe Williams
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