Cricket’s return to the Olympics: Los Angeles host the event in 2028

The Fairgrounds, also known as Fairplex, is a 500-acre event complex that has hosted the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922.
Both men’s and women’s T20 competitions will feature six teams each.
The full tournament schedule will be finalized closer to the Games’ start.

The organizing committee announced on Tuesday that cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will take place in a temporary, purpose-built structure at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California.

The Olympics organizing committee issued a press release stating that the Fairgrounds in Pomona, officially known as Fairplex, is a nearly 500-acre event complex in Southern California. It has hosted the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922 and serves as a year-round venue for concerts, trade shows, sports, and cultural events.

“We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen,” said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. “Los Angeles is the epicentre of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) welcomed the announcement as excitement around cricket’s Olympic comeback has grown since the confirmation that the sport would return to the Games after a 128-year gap.

The sport last featured at Paris 1900, where Great Britain and France played a one-off, two-day match, which is now recognized as an unofficial Test.

Both the men’s and women’s T20 competitions will feature six teams each, with each gender receiving a 90-player quota. This will allow each nation to field a squad of up to 15 players. The organizing committee will finalize the full tournament schedule closer to the start of the Games.

“We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket at Los Angeles 2028 as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport’s return to the Olympics,” ICC Chair Jay Shah said.

“Although cricket is a hugely popular sport, it will be a fantastic opportunity to expand traditional boundaries when it features in the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format that should appeal to new audiences.”

“On behalf of the ICC, I want to express my gratitude to LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for their support and look forward to collaborating with them and ICC Members in preparing for LA28 and making cricket a huge success there.”

In October 2023, the Olympics confirmed cricket’s return, alongside the inclusion of five additional sports for the Los Angeles Games: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes), and squash.

The T20 format has featured in multi-sport events before, with both men’s and women’s competitions held at the Asian Games in 2010, 2014, and 2023. The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham hosted a women’s T20 tournament.