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Several reports have stated that the possibility of cricket being included in the 2028 Olympics is very high and that the sport may make a return to the games 128 years after it was last played in Paris in the year 1900. However, the event in 1900 was a sort of dull affair, as only two teams featured, Great Britain and France.
Cricket, which is the most popular sport in the subcontinent, has recently started to spread across the globe in multi-sport events after it was featured in the Commonwealth Games, which were held in Birmingham last year, although it was just restricted to the Women’s teams. Cricket is also set to make its appearance in the Asian Games this year, which is also a major multi-sport event.
Talks of the tournament being restricted to only five teams in the 2028 edition are currently ongoing according to the Guardian, but the situation will only improve in the future as the sport gains popularity all over the world and more teams will be allowed to participate in the Olympics.
T he International Olympic Committee and Los Angeles 2028 both advised the ICC that the format should be one in which a world championship is held (excluding T10, for example), have a brief duration (excluding ODIs), and have a significant level of audience engagement and as a result, T20 was proposed as the format.
The International Olympic Committee, which selected cricket as one of nine sports for LA 2028 along with baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, breakdancing, karate, kickboxing, squash, and racing, also has a big monetary incentive.
The present Olympic broadcast rights in India are auctioned for specific Games, and it is estimated that Paris 2024's rights will only fetch £15.6 million ($20 million). However, according to industry insiders who spoke to the Guardian, if cricket is included in LA in 2028 and subsequently Brisbane in 2032, this amount could be worth up to £150 million depending on the format and the number of guaranteed matches for India.
The United States of America, who are the hosts of the 2028 Olympics, recently got introduced to their first professional T20 League in the form of Major League Cricket, which featured six teams based in American locations. This will only help in strengthening the case for having cricket in the Olympics.
