How Indian cricket team can qualify for LA 2028 Olympics

The men's team can earn quotas via the ICC T20 Rankings or the Qualification Tournament, while India women have already secured a berth via the T20 World Cup.

How can the Indian cricket team qualify for the LA 2028 Olympics? The question that has lingered ever since the sport was confirmed as part of the Summer Games programme for LA28.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provided the answer on Monday after approving cricket's qualification system for the LA 2028 Games.

A total of six men's teams and as many women's teams will compete in two different T20 cricket tournaments at the LA 2028 Olympics. Each will have its own set of medals.

For both the men’s and women’s competitions, one quota place is reserved for hosts USA, subject to them being ranked 15th or better in their respective ICC T20 Team Rankings during the qualification period.

The remaining 10 quota places - five for men and as many for women - will be decided through different qualification pathways.

The Indian men's and women's cricket teams will have separate qualification routes for LA 2028 based on ICC rankings and designated qualification events.

A total of four men's quota places will be allocated through the ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings.

These quota places will be awarded to the highest-ranked eligible National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from four continents - Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania - at the end of the qualification period.

For India, this means the men's team will need to finish as Asia's highest-ranked eligible side in the ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings to secure a direct quota for LA 2028.

The men's LA 2028 Olympics qualification ranking window opens on June 30, 2026, and closes on December 31, 2026.

If the Indian men’s cricket team fails to secure direct qualification through the rankings pathway, it will have another opportunity through the Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOGQT).

For the men's competition, the next eight highest-ranked eligible teams not already qualified through the ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings will qualify for the FOGQT.

There is no limit on continental representation at the Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament. However, the cut-off to make the final FOGQT roster through world rankings closes on December 31, 2026.

The winner of the men's FOGQT will claim the final quota place at LA 2028.

The Indian women's cricket team has already bagged a quota for the LA 2028 Olympics by finishing as the highest-placed Asian team at the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, currently underway in England.

Best-placed nations from each of the four continents - Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania - at the T20 showpiece will be awarded with LA 2028 quotas.

Australia, South Africa, England and the West Indies are the four teams which qualified for the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Among the Asian teams, India and Sri Lanka finished third in their respective groups with six points each but Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. (+1.718) had a better net run rate (NRR) than the Lankans (-0.725).

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will inform the NOCs about the final allocated LA 2028 quotas within five days of the conclusion of the Women’s T20I World Cup 2026 on July 5.

Similar to the men, the women's Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament will feature the next eight highest-ranked eligible teams not already qualified through the Women's T20 World Cup pathway.

The teams for the women's FOGQT will be determined based on the ICC Women's T20I Team Rankings as of March 1, 2027.

The winner of the FOGQT will secure the final quota place for LA 2028.

If the West Indies are among the eligible teams for either the men's or women's FOGQT, the ICC will organise a West Indies Nations Regional Tournament to determine which National Olympic Committee will represent the Caribbean region.

This is because the West Indies compete as a combined team in ICC events but are not recognised as an IOC National Olympic Committee. Individual Caribbean nations, rather than the West Indies, are eligible to compete at the Olympic Games.

Dates and venues for both the men’s and women’s FOGQTs will be announced at a later date.

Teams which fail to secure a berth through the direct qualification pathways can still make it to the LA 2028 Olympics through quota reallocations.

Should a qualified National Olympic Committee (NOC) decline or fail to confirm its quota place within the stipulated deadline, the vacant berth will be reallocated.

For the men's competition, quota places earned through the ICC Men's T20 Team Rankings will pass to the next highest-ranked eligible team from a continent not yet represented.

If a quota from the Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament becomes available, it will be awarded to the next highest-placed eligible team, regardless of continent.

If the USA do not use their host nation quota, it will be reallocated to the next highest-ranked eligible team in the respective ICC Men's or Women's T20 Team Rankings, irrespective of continental representation.

For Olympic qualification purposes, only rankings of eligible NOCs are recognised. As Great Britain competes as a single team at the Olympic Games, only one British nation - England - will be considered.

Cricket will return to the Olympic Games at LA 2028 after an absence of 128 years.

The sport last featured at Paris 1900, where Great Britain beat France in the only match played to win the gold medal.

This will mark cricket's second appearance in Olympic history and the first time that both men's and women's T20 tournaments will be contested at the Games.

All cricket matches at the LA 2028 Olympics will be held in a temporary, purpose-built venue at the Fairgrounds in Pomona from July 12 to 29.