Cricket at LA 2028 Olympics Returning after 128 Years
Cricket is scheduled to kick off on July 12, 2028, at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, USA, with the medal matches expected to be held on July 20 and 29.
The last time cricket was played at the Olympics was in Paris, France, in 1900, with only two teams competing (Great Britain and France). They competed in a one-off two-day match (now an unofficial Test match). Great Britain won the gold medal.
All games will be at the Fairplex Stadium in Pomona. The women’s final will be on July 20 and the men’s final on July 29. Only six countries will participate, and one team will be chosen from the regions Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Although the countries are still not guaranteed, they will likely include India, Great Britain, South Africa, Australia, and the US. The last country is for a team that wins a special tournament.
At the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, cricket will return in a much more modern style with separate T20-format tournaments for men and women (each with six teams). Each has its own gold, silver, and bronze medal.
In a T20 format of cricket, there are only twenty overs per side. An over is a set of six legal balls bowled by a single bowler from one end of the pitch. Each bowler is also limited to a maximum of four overs. During the first six overs, only two fielders are allowed to stand far away from the batter, outside a marked, 30-yard circle on the field. At least two fielders who are inside that circle must stand still when the bowler throws the ball. A fielder is a player on the bowling team. His or her job is to stop, catch, or throw the ball to get batters out.
In a team, there are 11 players total (one is the bowler; one is the wicketkeeper, a catcher behind the batter; the others are fielders). After the first 6 overs, only 5 fielders can stand outside the 30-yard circle (near the edge of the field). The other 4 fielders must stay closer to the batter. In addition, a “no-ball” awards two runs to the batting side, and the next delivery is a free hit for the batsman. A no-ball is an illegal delivery by the bowler.
Also, each side has 80 minutes to get through their 20 overs, and there are 15 minutes between innings (turns for each team to bat and score runs). Teams are penalized with runs given to the batting team if they don’t bowl their overs within the given time. The new batsman must reach the crease within 90 seconds after a wicket falls.
The return of cricket to the 2028 LA Olympics after 128 years will feature a fast-paced, modern T20 format, promoting excitement for Cricket fans.
Sources:
https://www.topendsports.com/sport/cricket/twenty20.htm
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/cricket-olympics-la-2028-dates-medal-matches
https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/cricket-is-back-at-the-olympics