Cricket is set to make a long-awaited return to the Olympic Games at LA 2028, with the fast-paced T20 format chosen to showcase the sport on the world's biggest sporting stage.
For many sports fans, T20 cricket may be unfamiliar. But with its exciting blend of power hitting, athletic fielding and dramatic finishes, spectators will be in for a treat when the sport returns to the Olympics for the first time in 128 years.
What is T20 cricket?
T20 is the shortest format of cricket played at international level. Each team has a single innings and can face a maximum of 20 overs, with each over consisting of six balls.
The captain of the side who wins the toss (a coin toss done prior to the match) decides whether to bat or bowl first.
The nation batting first will then try and score as many runs as possible, either through running between the wickets or through hitting boundaries, within the 120 balls they face.
The innings ends once the 120 balls have been bowled, or the batting team has lost all ten of their wickets inside their 20 overs – known as being bowled out.
The team batting second will then attempt to chase the score posted by their opponents, with the innings coming to an end, either: if they successfully reach the target score set by their opponents, they face their 120 balls, or if they get bowled out.
If the team batting first post a score and then stop their opponents reaching that target, they win, but if the team batting second does reach the target, they are the victors.
#DidYouKnow France are the reigning silver medalists in Olympic cricket? 🥈
— ICC (@ICC) March 25, 2020
Great Britain beat France in the final of the 1900 event held in Paris, the only Games in which cricket was competed. pic.twitter.com/55kCN5J9rk
When was T20 cricket introduced?
The format was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 as a way of attracting new audiences to the game.
The inaugural Twenty20 Cup was held in the summer of 2003 and quickly proved a success. The format soon spread around the world and has since become a global phenomenon, helping drive the growth of professional leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).
The first T20 international match was played on 17 February 2005, between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland, and the first T20 World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007.
Has cricket ever been at the Olympics?
Yes, once before.
Cricket made its sole Olympic appearance at the 1900 Games in Paris, where Great Britain faced France in a two-day match.
Great Britain won the contest and claimed the gold medal. After that, cricket disappeared from the Olympic programme for more than a century.
The sport's return to LA 2028 will therefore mark a historic moment. It will be the first time cricket has featured at the Olympics in 128 years and the first time women's cricket has been included in the Games.
Why was T20 chosen for the Olympics?
The T20 format is ideally suited to the Olympic Games because of its shorter duration and global appeal.
Traditional Test matches can last up to five days, while One Day Internationals (ODIs) take around eight hours to complete. By contrast, T20 matches last around three hours and therefore fit neatly into Olympic scheduling and provide an action-packed experience for spectators and broadcasters alike.
The format has already featured successfully at multi-sport events including the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
What will the Olympic tournament look like?
The cricket competition at LA 2028 will feature separate men's and women's tournaments.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and International Olympic Committee have confirmed that six men's teams and six women's teams will take part, with each squad expected to be made up of 15 players.
While the format of the competition is yet to be confirmed, the women’s competition will run between 12 July – 20 July 2028 while the men’s edition is schedule to be played between 22 July – 29 July 2028.
The gold-medal matches for each tournament will take place on 20 July and 29 July respectively.
Which teams could be involved?
With six places available for the men's and women's event, qualification will aim to ensure competitiveness and continental representation.
Five teams are expected to automatically qualify, one from each of the major ICC regions. The regions are Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas, with the USA in line to be given an automatic place as host nation.
Once the five teams have qualified through their regions, the final spot will be decided in a global qualifying tournament.
The specifics of this qualifying tournament, including the number of teams and format, are still being determined by the ICC, but this route provides a final opportunity for teams that just missed out in their region.
The strongest T20 nations in the world include countries such as India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan, while host nation USA will also hope to be represented.
In Olympic competition, England and Scotland compete together as Team GB so the squad will potentially be a mix of players from both nations.
Where will the cricket be played?
The Olympic cricket tournament will be staged at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, California, around 30 miles away from LA.
The venue, which will be home of Major League Cricket side Los Angeles Knight Riders once construction is finished, will host all men's and women's matches during the Olympic tournament and will have a capacity of 15,000.
Sportsbeat 2026