The International Cricket Council has confirmed how teams will qualify for cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Cricket will return to the Olympics for the first time in more than 100 years. The men’s and women’s events will both use the T20 format.
Six teams will play in each event. Five teams will qualify through ICC tournaments and T20I rankings. The final place will go to the winner of a new ICC Olympics Qualifier in 2027.
The Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has already produced the first four qualified teams. Australia, Great Britain through England, India and South Africa secured places as the top eligible teams from their continents. Only one team from each continent could qualify this way.
The United States can qualify automatically as host. To earn that place, both the men’s and women’s teams must enter the top 15 of the ICC T20I rankings at any time between June 30 and December 31, 2026.
If the USA women do not meet that mark, the place will go to the highest ranked team that has not yet qualified. The men’s place will also go to the next highest ranked eligible team if the USA fail to qualify.
The remaining automatic places in the men’s event will go to the highest ranked eligible teams from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings on December 31, 2026.
The 2027 ICC Olympics Qualifier will feature eight teams in both the men’s and women’s events. Seven teams will qualify through the ICC T20I rankings. The winner of the tournament will claim the final Olympic place.
The ICC also confirmed a separate path for the Caribbean. The West Indies cannot compete as one team at the Olympics because they do not represent a single National Olympic Committee. If the West Indies finish among the top eight non qualified teams, a Caribbean qualifying event will decide which nation moves into the ICC Olympics Qualifier.
Each nation can name a squad of 15 players. The six teams will be divided into two groups of three. The top two teams will play for the gold medal. The third and fourth placed teams will meet in the bronze medal match.
A total of 28 matches will be played across the men’s and women’s tournaments. All games will take place at a purpose built cricket venue in Pomona. The ICC will announce the dates and host of the 2027 Olympics Qualifier at a later time.
