LA 2028 cricket venue hosts first-ever competitive match, Major League Cricket teams in action
California, July 2
The venue that will host cricket's historic return to the Summer Olympics during the 2028 Los Angeles edition hosted its first-ever cricket match on Thursday.
The newly built Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, California, hosted the Major League Cricket (MLC) match between the home team, Los Angeles Knight Riders and Washington Freedom, as per Olympics.com.
The match saw one-time MLC champions WSF chase down 109 runs, courtesy of Steve Smith (40*) and Mark Chapman (34). Pacer Saurabh Netrawalkar (3/16) was the standout bowler for WSF.
The venue is hosting seven matches in the 2026 edition of MLC and will serve as the cricket venue for the LA Olympics. It features eight wickets on the main square, with ICC standard playing dimensions adhered to and six floodlight towers which are 120 feet tall.
Over 32,000 metric tonnes of earth were moved during construction to create the purpose-built international venue.
The qualification system for cricket at the LA 2028 has been officially published after receiving approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board.
At the same time, the IOC also confirmed revisions to the qualification pathway for surfing ahead of the LA Games.
Cricket is set to return to the Olympic Games at LA28, marking its first appearance in 128 years since it was last featured at the Paris 1900 Olympics. The event will include separate men's and women's T20 competitions, with six teams in each category. Every team can have up to 15 players, with 90 athlete quota places available for both the men's and women's tournaments. In total, 28 matches will be played across the two events.
The approval marks another milestone in the LA Games qualification process, with qualification systems for 49 sports and disciplines having been endorsed since December 2025. Boxing and water polo were the latest sports to receive approval in May 2026. Athletics and football are now the only two sports awaiting confirmation of their qualification systems, which are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Five qualification spots in each event will be decided through a mix of ICC tournaments and T20I rankings based on the approved FTP structure. The final spot will be awarded through the inaugural ICC Olympics Qualifier, scheduled for 2027.
Early qualification has already been confirmed through the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, with Australia, Great Britain (via England), India and South Africa securing places as the highest-ranked eligible teams from their respective continents, with a limit of one team per region.
The West Indies are not eligible for Olympic participation as they do not represent a single IOC-recognised National Olympic Committee. However, if their men's or women's teams rank among the top eight unqualified sides by the end of 2026, a Caribbean Qualifier will be held to decide which nation from the region advances.
The USA, as hosts from the Americas, can qualify for both events if their teams rank inside the top 15 during the June-December 2026 qualification window. If they fail to meet this condition, their automatic spot will be reassigned to the next highest-ranked eligible team based on ICC rankings.
The remaining men's slots will be filled through ICC T20I rankings, with the top eligible teams from each continent qualifying as of 31 December 2026. The final places in both events will then be decided at the 2027 ICC Olympics Qualifier, which will feature eight teams per gender, with details of the venue and schedule to be announced later.
Qualified teams will each be allowed a 15-player squad. The competition will feature two groups of three teams, with each team playing the others in its group once, along with two additional matches against teams from the opposite group that finished in different positions.
The top two teams will compete for the gold and silver medals, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will play for bronze.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see cricket expanding in the US, but I'm a bit skeptical about the qualification system. Why limit to just 6 teams? You're telling me teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan might not get a chance? 🏏 Also, the West Indies situation is confusing—they're a powerhouse in T20 cricket but can't participate as a unified team. Need better clarity from ICC and IOC.
Pomona getting a world-class cricket ground? Didn't see that coming! 😅 But seriously, 32,000 metric tonnes of earth moved and ICC-standard dimensions—they're not messing around. This could be a game-changer for cricket's global reach. For us Indians, it means more chances to see our stars play abroad. LA 2028 can't come soon enough!
I appreciate the effort, but let's be real—cricket in Olympics needs 8-10 teams to be competitive. 6 teams means the group stage is almost like a knockout. And having both men's and women's? Love the inclusivity, but 90 athletes per gender for just 6 teams? Seems like a waste of quota spots when other sports have more participants. Still, I'm excited to see how India performs on that stage. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳🏏
This is amazing for the sport! As someone who grew up watching cricket in India, I never thought I'd see it in the Olympics. The qualification via ICC events makes sense—keeps the integrity of the game. Women's team already qualified? That's fantastic news! Can't wait to see Harmanpreet and co. go for gold. 🥇 Also, 120-foot floodlights? That venue sounds epic!
A We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.