Cricket is reportedly set to become an Olympic sport for the second time at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
According to The Times, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to deliberate on what new sports will be welcomed into the fold for the Los Angeles Games on Friday.
The report claims men’s and women’s T20 cricket will make the cut and become an Olympic sport for just the second time since the 1900 Paris Games.
IOC president Thomas Bach is reportedly a big fan of bringing cricket into the Olympics given the sport’s mass appeal in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The three nations aren’t exactly world-beaters in other Olympic sports but if cricket was included, it would no doubt attract even more eyeballs to the tournament in 2028.
However, the organisers of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles would only allow cricket if flag football, a non-contact version of American football, would also be added to the Games.
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The number of sports at the Olympics has seen a rapid growth in recent times.
At the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, 38 sports were played as golf became the most recent inclusion.
But at the Tokyo Games, the number ballooned up to 46 sports as 3×3 basketball, BMX, karate, rugby sevens, baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing and speed climbing were all added.
The number will drop to 45 for the Paris Games with the culling of baseball/softball and karate while breakdancing has been included for the first time.
T20 cricket has already enjoyed somewhat of a test run at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with an eight-team women’s tournament.
Australia took out the gold medal in the event with a nine-run victory over India, while New Zealand won bronze after beating England by eight wickets.
