The senior India men’s cricket team will need to be the highest-ranked team in Asia in terms of the T20I rankings at the end of this year for automatic qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In the women’s category, the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup has confirmed the first participants for the 2028 Olympics, with Australia, Great Britain (via England), India and South Africa qualifying by virtue of being the highest-placed eligible finishers from Oceania, Europe, Asia and Africa, respectively. “Those places were capped at one per continent,” said an ICC release.
The qualification criteria was unveiled by the ICC on Monday. Cricket returns to the Olympics after 100 years and will feature six teams each in men’s and women’s competitions.
The process hinges on rankings for men to filter four quota slots from different continents. The cut-off date has been kept at December 31 this year.
“The confirmation of this qualification pathway is an important step towards Los Angeles 2028 and gives Members across the world a clear and exciting route to the Olympic stage,” ICC chairman Jay Shah stated.
The ICC Olympics Qualifier will be held next year and will feature eight nations in each of the men’s and women’s competitions.
