ICC makes a strong pitch for cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games by detailing Indian sub-continent’s sports viewership potential.

Will cricket be played in 2028 Olympics?

Compiled by: Our Bureau

(Our Bureau, April 25) Cricket made its sole Olympics appearance 121 years ago in Paris. But that could change as the International Cricket Council has made a strong pitch for cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games (Los Angeles) by detailing the Indian sub-continent’s untapped sports viewership potential. While the Rio Olympics (2016) engrossed 191 million viewers in India, the 2019 cricket world cup attracted 545 million, ICC said. “Cricket can provide the Olympic movement with an unrivaled opportunity to drive fan engagement across the Asian subcontinent (read, mainly India),” the game’s apex body said. Moreover, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which has traditionally been reticent of cricket in Olympics, recently gave a conditional approval for 2028 participation.  The ICC’s plan is to run a T20 tournament at LA28 between July 21 and August 6, with the men’s and women’s competitions spanning nine days each. But cricket is likely to face competition with baseball and softball, which are hugely popular in the US. Also, no suitable cricket venue exists in Los Angeles presently. The process for including sports in LA28 begins next year.

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