In a significant decision concerning the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the ICC has scheduled the qualifiers for January–February 2028; meanwhile, the final of the next World Test Championship will also be held in England.
Major update emerges regarding LA 2028 Olympic qualifiers
The 2028 Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, USA, and will include cricket. This marks the first time since 1904 that cricket has been featured in the Olympics. The ICC has already begun its preparations; the tournament will feature six teams each in the men’s and women’s events.
The ICC has established specific qualification criteria for this: five teams will gain direct entry, while a qualifier tournament will be held for the final remaining spot. The ICC has now confirmed that these qualifiers will take place in January and February 2028. Although the venues for the men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers have not yet been decided, each tournament will feature eight teams.
Qualifiers were initially scheduled for 2027
The ICC had originally planned to hold the qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in 2027; however, according to a report by Cricinfo, they will now take place in January–February 2028. The schedule and tournament structure for the six teams participating in the LA28 Olympic Games were released in June. In the women’s event, Australia, India, South Africa, and Great Britain have qualified as the highest-ranked eligible teams from their respective continents—a status earned based on their performances in the T20 World Cup held earlier this year.
For the men’s event, the top-ranked teams in the ICC T20I rankings as of December 31, 2026—representing the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania—will secure their spots in the Olympics. Regarding the remaining two slots, the ICC announced in June that the USA, as the host nation, would be eligible to participate in both the men’s and women’s events, provided they break into the top 15 of the T20I team rankings at any point during the qualification period, which runs from June 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026.
What happens if the USA women’s team fails to qualify?
The USA men’s team is currently ranked 13th, which secures their direct entry into the Olympics; however, under the ICC’s new qualification rules, the women’s team faces the risk of missing out on an Olympic spot. In a statement released in June, the ICC clarified that if the USA women’s team—currently ranked 19th—fails to meet the Olympic qualification criteria as a host nation, the fifth slot will be awarded based on the rankings from the inaugural 'Women’s Champions Trophy,' scheduled to be held in India in February 2027.
Several major tournaments are set to take place between 2027 and 2031
Following meetings held in Dubai in October, the ICC shared a list of global events with its member boards, which includes the dates for the 2028 men’s and women’s T20 World Cups. Between 2027 and 2031, a series of major tournaments are planned, comprising 12 men’s events, 7 women’s events, and five Under-19 events (including qualifiers). However, some details are yet to be clarified.
The 2028 women’s and men’s T20 World Cups will be held in succession, with an interval of just 11 days between them. The 12-team women’s T20 World Cup will take place from September 7 to October 1, while the 20-team men’s tournament will be held between October 12 and November 12. Additionally, the ICC has once again awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 'World Test Championship' final to England.
