The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday announced the dates for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, stating that matches will be played on June 12, 2028.

Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the first time since the Paris Games in 1900 with a proposed six-team Twenty20 format for men and women in Los Angeles. The IOC had said in October 2023 that cricket’s inclusion had the potential to activate and engage new audiences, with the sport’s worldwide fan base estimated at 2.5 billion people.

A press release issued today said the sport’s highly anticipated return was revealed with the official competition schedule.

Cricket “will play out starting July 12, with the 20th and 29th of the same month earmarked for the medal matches”, the press release read.

“There are no cricket matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 at LA28,” it added. “Most of the matchdays will be double headers, with the games starting from 9am and 6:30pm as per local Los Angeles time. It’s the same for the medal matches.”

Six teams will be competing in each of the men’s and women’s tournaments. A total of 90 athlete quotas have been allocated for each gender, allowing every team to name a 15-member squad.

The press release adds that all matches at the Olympics will be held in a temporary, purpose-built venue at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, about 50 kilometres from Los Angeles.

In May, Cricket West Indies (CWI) urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to give Caribbean nations a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games and avoid the region being “shut out of history”.

“All we are asking is that our individual nations’ exceptional Olympic legacy be considered in the conversation,” CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said. “Our nations have proudly flown their individual flags atop Olympic podiums as perennial gold medallists.

“Now, with cricket’s inclusion, we must ensure that our cricketers are not shut out of history. We are ready to collaborate. We are ready to compete. But above all, we are asking for fairness.”