LA 2028 Olympic cricket qualifiers shifted to early 2028, under six months before Games
Synopsis
Cricket's historic Olympic return just got a tighter timeline. The ICC has pushed LA 2028 qualifiers to January–February 2028 — less than six months before the Games — and quietly revised the criteria for the women's fifth spot, tying it to the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy. With the USA women sitting 19th in the rankings, the path to LA is far from clear.
Key Takeaways
The LA 2028 Olympic cricket qualifiers have been moved from 2027 to January–February 2028 , fewer than six months before the Games.
Australia , India , South Africa , and Great Britain have already qualified for the women's event via the T20 World Cup 2026 .
The USA men's team (ranked 13th ) is on track for automatic entry; the USA women's team (ranked 19th ) must reach the top 15 to qualify automatically.
The ICC has revised the women's fifth-spot criteria: if USA women miss the top 15, the berth will go to the top non-qualified nation at the Women's Champions Trophy 2027 .
Each qualifier will feature eight teams ; the tournament winner earns the sixth and final Olympic berth per gender.
Cricket returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1900 , a gap of 128 years .
The qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games cricket event have been pushed back to January–February 2028, less than six months before the Games are scheduled to begin in June 2028, according to a report by Cricinfo. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had originally planned to hold both the men's and women's qualifiers in 2027 to finalise the last berths in each category.
Why the Qualifiers Were Delayed
The shift to early 2028 compresses the preparation window significantly for the teams that will compete in the qualifying tournaments. Each qualifier will feature eight teams, with the tournament winner earning the sixth and final spot in the main Olympic event. The venues for both the men's and women's qualifier events have not yet been confirmed.
The eight qualifier participants will include the seven highest-ranked teams outside the automatic qualifiers and the winner of the Caribbean Regional Qualifier.
Which Teams Have Already Qualified
Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1900 — a gap of 128 years — with six teams each in the men's and women's competitions vying for medals at LA 2028.
On the women's side, four nations — Australia, India, South Africa, and Great Britain — have already secured their places based on their performances at the T20 World Cup 2026.
For the men's competition, direct entries will go to the highest-ranked eligible team from each of the Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania regions, based on ICC T20I rankings as of 31 December 2026.
USA's Qualification Path and the Fifth Spot
The United States can secure the fifth automatic berth in both the men's and women's competitions if they rank inside the top 15 in the ICC T20I rankings at any point during the qualification window from 30 June 2026 to 31 December 2026.
The USA men's team, currently ranked 13th, appears well-placed to secure that slot. However, the USA women's team sits at 19th, putting their automatic entry in doubt.
Notably, the ICC has reportedly updated the criteria for the women's fifth spot. If the USA women fail to break into the top 15, that berth will now be awarded to the best-performing non-qualified nation at the Women's Champions Trophy in 2027 — a revision from the earlier criterion that used ICC T20I standings as of 1 March 2027.
T20 World Cups Also Scheduled in 2028
The men's and women's T20 World Cups are also set to be held in close succession in 2028. The Women's T20 World Cup 2028 will be held in Pakistan from 7 September to 1 October 2028, while the Men's T20 World Cup 2028 will take place across Australia and New Zealand from 12 October to 12 November 2028.
With the qualifier schedule now locked into the first two months of the Olympic year, teams on the bubble will face a tight turnaround before one of the sport's most historic returns to the global stage.
Point of View
Cricket loses its host-nation women's representative — an optics problem the ICC can ill afford as it tries to grow the sport's Olympic footprint.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the LA 2028 Olympic cricket qualifiers now scheduled?
The qualifiers have been pushed back to January and February 2028, according to a Cricinfo report. This is less than six months before the Los Angeles Olympic Games are scheduled to begin in June 2028.
Which women's cricket teams have already qualified for LA 2028?
Australia, India, South Africa, and Great Britain have confirmed their places in the women's cricket event at LA 2028 based on their performances at the T20 World Cup 2026. Two more spots — including via the qualifier — remain to be filled.
What is the USA's qualification status for the LA 2028 Olympics?
The USA men's team, ranked 13th in ICC T20I rankings, is on course to secure the fifth automatic men's berth. The USA women's team is currently ranked 19th and must break into the top 15 at any point between 30 June 2026 and 31 December 2026 to claim automatic entry.
How has the ICC changed the women's fifth-spot qualification criteria?
The ICC has reportedly revised the criteria so that if the USA women fail to reach the top 15 in the rankings, the fifth spot will go to the highest-placed non-qualified nation at the Women's Champions Trophy 2027 — replacing the earlier criterion based on ICC T20I standings as of 1 March 2027.
Why is cricket's Olympic return historically significant?
Cricket will be making its return to the Olympics after a gap of 128 years; the sport last featured at the 1900 Paris Games. The LA 2028 edition marks only the second time cricket has been part of the Olympic programme.
