Southern California to host cricket in LA 2028 Olympics

According to the International Cricket Council's official website, the ICC welcomed the news on Tuesday that cricket will be played in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at the Pomona, Southern California, fairgrounds. The news that cricket will be returning to the Olympics after a 128-year hiatus has stoked excitement over the sport's return.

 According to the LA28 Organising Committee, cricket will be played at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California. "Cricket (T20), a globally renowned sport that was added to the 2028 Olympic sports program in 2023, will make its Southern California debut at the Fairgrounds in Pomona in a temporary, purpose-built structure," the Games organizers announced.

During the July 14–30 Olympic Games, cricket will make its first appearance since 1900. France and Great Britain played a two-day contest. The Fairgrounds, formerly known as Fairplex, is a 500-acre location in Pomona that is about 50 kilometers east of Los Angeles. Since 1922, the Los Angeles County Fair has been held there. The announcement has received positive feedback from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

📍The Fairgrounds in Pomona, Southern California

Where cricket will make its return to the Olympic stage!

Read more: https://t.co/mpUfycpBGxpic.twitter.com/B3lGMMisJ1

— ICC (@ICC) April 15, 2025

"We welcome the announcement of the venue for cricket in Los Angeles 2028, as it is a significant step towards the preparation for our sport's return to the Olympics. Although cricket is already a hugely popular sport, featuring it at the Olympics in the fast-paced, exciting T20 format presents a fantastic opportunity to expand its traditional boundaries and attract new audiences," Jay Shah said.

The T20 format will be used for LA Olympic 

The LA28 Olympic Games will feature six cricket teams competing in both the men's and women's divisions. Six teams are competing in both the men's and women's events, each with 15 players, due to the sport's 90-athlete quotas. These teams' qualifying requirements are still being finalized.

The ICC has acknowledged the T20 format as a major factor in the sport's worldwide growth, and it has recently been included in other multi-sport competitions. The men's and women's T20 tournaments were held in the Asian Games in 2010, 2014, and 2023, however only a women's tournament was held at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.