The world of cricket is thrilled at the news of cricket being an official part of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 (LA28). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the inclusion of cricket 128 years after its inception in 1900 at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai, held from 15 October to 17 October 2023. Cricket was one of the five additional sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee alongside baseball-softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash for its inclusion at the Games.
Cricket was a major sport in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. Two teams participated in a one-off final, Great Britain and France. Netherlands and Belgium withdrew from the event due to the rejection of co-hosting the 1900 Olympics. Ever since then, the sport has not featured in the Olympic program, regardless of how much popularity and likeability it has achieved over the years.
Both men’s and women’s cricket will be a part of the Olympics program, with all the matches set to be contested in the T20 format. After a long hiatus, cricket is set to return to the biggest sporting stage and entertain us spectacularly, bringing a new dawn to the cult of the Olympics. The International Cricket Council (ICC) can now reach a vast spectrum of audiences across different geographical locations. For example, cricket is not avidly followed by people in the United States or Brazil, so witnessing the sport at the Olympics could further attract interest in the game. This could eventually lead to participation, extending cricket proficiency in multiple countries.
Cricket is the second most followed sport after football in the world. The majority of its viewership comes from the regions of South Asia and South Africa. Billions of fans follow any mega cricket event conducted by the ICC, with India alone constituting 500 million viewers. The viewership is only set to increase massively with the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics, as fans across the globe tune in. This adds another feather to the cap of the ICC.
The news of including cricket in the Olympics has been welcomed heartily in India, the nation that celebrates and regards the sport as a religion. The cricket fever is raging in India. Fans are celebrating as they will be able to watch their favorite players play at the biggest sporting event, in hopes of a medal that could be added to the bag! All the legendary cricketers from Sachin Tendulkar to Jhulan Goswami, lauded this most awaited decision of the IOC. Tendulkar tweeted, “After a wait of more than a century, our beloved sport is back on the Olympic stage. This marks the dawn of a new era of cricket.” Jhulan Goswami hopes for the participation of both Indian men’s and women’s teams in this sport as she tweeted, “ I hope to see both Indian men’s and women’s team participate in LA28 and win medals for their country on the Olympic stage.” They claimed it to be the beginning of something special for the world of cricket. Many cricketers are hopeful that the inclusivity of this sport is an opportunity for fans to enjoy the sensation that cricket brings. We cannot keep calm to see where this incredible new journey leads!