Not India or Australia, World Cup Winning Captain reveals China’s ambition for gold in cricket at LA 2028 Olympics

Cricket is all set for a historic comeback at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, marking its return to the Games after an astonishing 128-year gap. The only previous Olympic cricket match took place in 1900, where Great Britain defeated France by 158 runs to claim the gold medal.

Excitement is already building around cricket’s return to the world's biggest sporting stage, and according to Australian legend Steve Waugh, some countries are taking it more seriously than ever — particularly China.

Steve Waugh Highlights China’s Serious Approach

Speaking recently, Steve Waugh revealed that China immediately got to work after cricket’s Olympic inclusion was announced, aiming to build a team capable of winning gold in Los Angeles.

"As soon as cricket's inclusion in the Olympics was announced, China started building a team. They are serious about winning gold. T20 is massive now. It's billions of dollars, and it's growing every day. Test cricket will survive, but T20 will dominate. Players will soon be contracted mainly to franchises. Test matches might even need special permissions," Waugh said, as quoted by ANI.

Waugh's comments reflect a major shift in cricket’s global landscape, where shorter formats like T20 are taking center stage.

Cricket’s Venue Confirmed for LA28 Olympics

Adding to the buzz, the LA28 Organizing Committee has recently announced that the Fair Grounds in Pomona, Southern California, would be the official venue for cricket during the Games of Los Angeles.

Cricket included in the LA28 program was formally confirmed at the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee in Mumbai, India, in October 2023, joining five other new sports making their Olympic debut at LA28: baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (six-a-side), and squash.

Format for Cricket in the 2028 Olympics

The return format for cricket has been unveiled. It has earned a total quota of 90 athletes, with six teams per gender. Each team will comprise 15 players; the events will be fast and thrilling.

Cricket's Increasing Appearance in Multisport Events

Cricket has been on-the-rise in multi-sport events. The most recent introduction was in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 2022, where women's cricket events featured Australia winning gold and India securing silver. India won both the men's and women's gold medals in cricket featured in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

As cricket prepares for its return into Olympism, countries like China investing heavily are indicative of how the sport is growing its footprint around the world, influenced more and more by the advent of T20 cricket.