Cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics runs from July 12 to July 29, 2028, with separate men’s and women’s T20 tournaments featuring six teams each.
The women’s gold medal match is on July 20, and the men’s final is on July 29. The tournament hosts all 28 matches at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, California, about 50 km east of downtown Los Angeles.
This is cricket’s return to the Olympics after a 128-year gap. The last (and only) appearance was a single match between Great Britain and France at the 1900 Paris Games. This time, it is a proper tournament with T20 cricket, medals, and 12 teams across both genders.
Olympics Cricket Schedule: Complete Day-by-Day Breakdown
Below is the full Olympics cricket schedule 2028 with match timings in both Pacific Time (PT) and Indian Standard Time (IST). Most matchdays feature double-headers. The * IST times means the next calendar day.
| Date | Event | Stage | Time (PT) | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12 | Women’s | Group Play | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 13 | Women’s | Group Play | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 14 | Rest Day | No Cricket | – | – |
| Jul 15-18 | Women’s | Group Play | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 19 | Women’s | Classification | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 20 | Women’s | Medal Matches | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 21 | Rest Day | No Cricket | – | – |
| Jul 22-26 | Men’s | Group Play | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 27-28 | Men’s | Classification + Bronze | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
| Jul 29 | Men’s | Gold Medal Match | 9 AM, 6:30 PM | 9:30 PM, 7 AM* |
Women’s Cricket Schedule (July 12 to July 20)
Women’s cricket opens the Olympic cricket tournament on July 12. That is two full days before the LA 2028 Opening Ceremony, so cricket is among the first sports to begin at these Games.
Women’s Group Stage (July 12 to July 18)
Six women’s teams compete in two groups of three. Each team plays the other two in its group across round-robin matches. Double-headers keep the schedule tight and exciting.
Once the group stage wraps up, teams move into cross-group matches. They face opponents from the opposite group who finished in different positions. Combined results from all four matches build the final standings table.
Women’s Classification and Medal Day (July 19 to July 20)
Classification matches on July 19 finalise the standings. Then July 20 delivers the big moment: the women’s bronze and gold medal matches.
This marks the first time women’s cricket has medal matches at the Olympics. Given the growth of the women’s game in recent years, especially through leagues like the WPL and The Hundred, this is a genuinely historic milestone.
Men’s Cricket Schedule (July 22 to July 29)
The men’s event starts after a rest day on July 21. Group play for men runs from July 22 through July 26, using the same format as the women’s tournament.
Men’s Group Stage (July 22 to July 26)
Same structure as the women’s bracket: six teams, two groups of three, round-robin within groups, then cross-group classification matches. Double-headers on most days.
Match start times stay at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM Pacific Time. The evening game hits Indian prime time at 9:30 PM IST, while the morning game lands at 7:00 AM IST. Organisers deliberately chose this timing to maximise viewership.
Men’s Medal Matches (July 28 to July 29)
Organisers have pencilled the men’s bronze medal match for July 28. The gold medal final on July 29 closes out the entire cricket tournament at the Games.
July 29 falls in the second week of the Olympics, making the men’s cricket gold a marquee late-Games event. If India reaches the final, expect record-breaking viewership numbers across the subcontinent.
Olympics Cricket Tournament Format Explained
Both events use the T20 (Twenty20) format, confirmed by the IOC in April 2025. Here is a full breakdown.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Format | T20 (Twenty20) – 20 overs per side |
| Teams Per Event | 6 men’s + 6 women’s (12 total) |
| Squad Size | 15 players per team (90 athlete quotas per gender) |
| Total Matches | 28 matches across both events |
| Group Phase | 6 teams split into 2 groups of 3 (round-robin) |
| Second Phase | Cross-group matches based on finishing position |
| Medal Matches | 1st vs 2nd (Gold) and 3rd vs 4th (Bronze) |
| Medals | Gold, Silver, and Bronze in both men’s and women’s events |
How the Cross-Group Phase Works
After round-robin play, each team faces opponents from the other group who finished in different positions. For example, a group winner plays the second and third-placed teams from the other group.
Combined results from all matches build a final standings table. The top two play for gold, while third and fourth contest the bronze. There is no semifinal in the traditional sense.
This format keeps the match count manageable at 28 games total while still giving every team meaningful fixtures. Smart design for a sport making just its second Olympic appearance.
Match Timings for Indian Viewers (IST Conversion)
Organisers designed the Olympics cricket match timings with India’s massive cricket audience firmly in mind. Here is exactly when to tune in.
Daily Match Start Times
Match 1: 9:00 AM PT = 9:30 PM IST (same day). Prime-time evening viewing for India. Perfect for watching cricket after dinner.
Match 2: 6:30 PM PT = 7:00 AM IST (next day). Early morning cricket for India. Grab your chai and catch the action before work.
This pattern holds for medal matches too. The men’s gold final on July 29 starts at 9:00 AM PT (9:30 PM IST) and 6:30 PM PT (7:00 AM IST next day).
Why the Timings Favour India
With over 2.5 billion cricket fans globally, India represents the single largest viewership market. Organisers considered hosting cricket on the US East Coast for better Indian time zones but kept it in LA County so athletes could stay at the Olympic Village.
The 9:30 PM IST window is the same slot where IPL matches typically draw 200+ million viewers. Organisers placed Olympic cricket there as a strategic and commercial move that directly benefits Indian fans.
Olympics Cricket Venue: Knight Riders Cricket Ground, Pomona
All 28 Olympic cricket matches will take place at a single venue. Here are the key details about this purpose-built stadium.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue Name | Knight Riders Cricket Ground (Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium) |
| Location | Fairplex, Pomona, CA (50 km from downtown LA) |
| Capacity | 15,000 for Olympics (phased expansion from 5,000) |
| Cost | $21 million |
| Built By | Knight Riders Group (co-led by Shah Rukh Khan) |
| Post-Olympics | Home of LA Knight Riders (Major League Cricket) |
How the Stadium Was Built
The Knight Riders Group announced the $21 million stadium project on March 19, 2026. Construction began on April 26, 2026, with a traditional bhumi pujan ceremony.
The venue grows in phases: 5,000 seats initially, expanding to 12,000 by 2027, and reaching the full 15,000 for the 2028 Olympics.
Unlike the modular stadium in Nassau County, New York, for the 2024 T20 World Cup (dismantled after the event), the Pomona stadium is permanent. Post-Olympics, it becomes the home ground of the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket.
Location and Access
The Fairplex in Pomona sits about 30 miles (50 km) east of downtown LA. It has hosted the LA County Fair since 1922 and is well-connected by road. Players stay at the Olympic Village on UCLA’s campus, meaning they get the full Olympic athlete experience alongside competitors from 35 other sports.
How Teams Qualify for Olympics Cricket 2028
The ICC uses a regional continental qualification system aligned with the Olympic five-ring principle. The top-ranked T20I team from each continent qualifies directly, with a sixth spot contested through a global qualifier.
| Region | Men’s (Likely) | Women’s (Likely) | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | India | India | Top-ranked in region |
| Oceania | Australia | Australia | Top-ranked in region |
| Europe | Great Britain | Great Britain | Top-ranked in region |
| Africa | South Africa | South Africa | Top-ranked in region |
| Americas | USA (Host) | TBC | Host nation auto-entry |
| 6th Spot | TBC | TBC | Global qualifier |
Why Pakistan and New Zealand Could Miss Out
Only one team per continent earns an automatic Olympic spot. Since India leads Asia’s T20I rankings, Pakistan faces the real possibility of missing the Olympics entirely unless they qualify through the global qualifier route.
New Zealand faces the same issue. With Australia holding Oceania’s spot, the Black Caps must fight for the sixth berth through the global qualifying tournament. Geography beats rankings here, and that has sparked plenty of debate across the cricket world.
The West Indies Cannot Compete as One Team
The West Indies cricket team cannot enter the Olympics as a single entity. Olympic rules require teams to represent individual National Olympic Committees. A Caribbean island nation like Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago would need to qualify independently.
Great Britain Cricket: A Brand New Entity
England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are forming Great Britain Cricket for the Olympics. The ECB and Cricket Scotland announced this collaboration in April 2025. Technically, Great Britain are the defending Olympic cricket champions from 1900. That is a 128-year title defence.
Key Matchups to Watch at the Olympics
While the final draw depends on qualification results, several blockbuster matchups are likely based on the expected six-team fields.
India vs Australia
Both should qualify through their respective regions. An India vs Australia Olympic T20 match would combine two of the sport’s most competitive sides with an Olympic gold medal on the line. Expect fireworks.
India vs Great Britain
England’s players competing under the Great Britain banner against India adds a layer of intrigue. This rivalry spans centuries of cricket history, and the Olympic stage brings a completely new dimension.
USA vs India
The host nation versus cricket’s most-followed team. Remember the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York? The USA pulled off a stunning upset against Pakistan. An Olympic shock against India at Pomona would write an even bigger story.
How to Watch Olympics Cricket 2028
Broadcast rights for the LA 2028 Olympics in India are currently under tender. The IOC expects significantly higher bids than Paris 2024 thanks to cricket’s inclusion.
India Broadcast Rights
Viacom18 acquired Paris 2024 Olympic rights in India for $31 million. With cricket now in the programme, the LA 2028 bid should reach far higher levels. Reports mention figures around $200 million.
The IOC offers three package types for India: multiplatform (TV + digital), TV-only, and digital-only. The IOC will announce the winning broadcaster once the bidding process concludes.
USA and Global Coverage
NBC holds US Olympic broadcast rights through 2032. Their coverage on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock will include dedicated cricket programming.
In the UK, BBC and Discovery typically share Olympic coverage. Other markets should expect region-specific details closer to the Games.
A Brief History of Cricket at the Olympics
Cricket has one of the most unusual Olympic backstories of any sport. Its LA 2028 inclusion marks just the second Olympic appearance ever.
At the 1900 Paris Olympics, only two teams played: Great Britain (the Devon & Somerset Wanderers) beat France in a two-day match. The players did not even realise it counted as an Olympic event until the IOC retroactively recognised the match in 1912.
Cricket was also planned for the 1896 Athens Olympics but organisers dropped it due to insufficient entries. After that, 128 years of absence followed.
On October 16, 2023, the IOC voted to include cricket at LA 2028 during its 141st Session in Mumbai. Only two members voted against. The BCCI’s backing, IPL’s commercial power, and cricket’s 2.5-billion-strong fan base all helped push it over the line.
Conclusion
The Olympics cricket schedule 2028 covers 18 days of T20 action from July 12 to July 29 at a purpose-built 15,000-seat stadium in Pomona. With six teams per event, regional qualification adding drama, and match timings tailored for Indian viewers, this promises to be a landmark tournament.
Cricket waited 128 years for its Olympic comeback. The schedule is locked, the venue is under construction, and the anticipation is building. Now it is just a matter of which six teams earn their place and who walks away wearing gold.
FAQs
Cricket starts on July 12, 2028, two days before the Opening Ceremony. Women’s group matches begin first.
All matches are at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground (Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium) at Fairplex, Pomona, California, roughly 50 km from downtown LA.
Both events use the T20 (Twenty20) format, with each team facing 20 overs per innings for fast-paced, high-scoring matches.
Six teams each in men’s and women’s categories, with 15-member squads. That is 12 teams and 180 athletes total.
India should qualify as Asia’s top-ranked T20I team. Final confirmation depends on the ICC’s cutoff date and official rankings.
Women’s medal matches: July 20. Men’s gold medal match: July 29, 2028.
Match 1: 9:30 PM IST (same day). Match 2: 7:00 AM IST (next day). Timings target Indian prime-time viewing.
Pakistan can qualify only through the global qualifying tournament since India holds Asia’s automatic spot. The format and dates of this qualifier are still to be confirmed by the ICC.