The Indian women’s cricket team qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as the top-placed Asian team in the ongoing T20 World Cup while the men’s squad will have to be the continental leaders in world rankings at the end of this year to clinch a direct berth.

According to a PTI report yesterday, the qualification criteria was unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Cricket is returning to the Olympics (LA Games in 2028) after a century and will feature six teams each in men’s and women’s competitions.

“Australia, Great Britain (through England), India and South Africa have qualified for the six-team women’s event after finishing as the highest-ranked teams from Oceania, Europe, Asia and Africa, respectively, at the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026,” the ICC stated.

The Indian men’s team will need to be Asia’s highest-ranked in the ICC T20 rankings at the end of 2026 to gain automatic qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics while early slots among women will go to the continental top four from the ongoing World Cup in England.

For women, four quota places will be allocated to the highest-placed eligible NOCs taken continentally at the T20 World Cup “resulting in four teams in total (i.e. the top standing NOC from different continents at the conclusion of the competition).”

“Each eligible team will obtain one quota place for its NOC.” As per this criteria, Australia (Oceania), South Africa (Africas) and England (Europe) seem to have grabbed the early slots after qualifying for the semifinals in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

“As Great Britain takes part in the Olympics, only one British nation, England, will be considered as part of the quotas,” the ICC stated.

The West Indies have also reached the semifinals, placing it among the top four. India’s fate would be known after the final standings of the tournament are completed.

However, as a composite ICC member representing multiple Caribbean nations and not recognised as an IOC NOC, it is ineligible to participate in the Olympic Games or to obtain a quota place as one entity.

West Indies comprises the NOCs of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands, which do not compete individually in ICC events.

The host country, USA, is guaranteed one quota place each in the men’s and women’s competition on the basis that they have “satisfied the ICC criteria of appearing on a ranking of 15 or better in the Rankings during the qualification period.”

In addition, the Final Olympic Global Qualification Tournament (FOGQT) will be held separately for both genders, dates for which are yet to be finalised.

The next eight highest-ranked eligible teams, which have not yet qualified based on rankings, will fight it out for one slot each in the men’s and women’s competition.

ICC chairman Jay Shah said the announcement of the qualification pathway was a key milestone as the sport returns to the Olympics after a century, and will be a great opportunity for cricket-playing nations to showcase the game to the world. (Image courtesy ICC website)