Cricket will not be part of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scheduled from July 23 to August 2, 2026, as reported by ESPNCricinfo. This edition will feature only ten disciplines, with cricket missing from the lineup. The sport made a comeback during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham through a women's T20 tournament, marking its first appearance since the 1998 Kuala Lumpur CWG. Australia emerged victorious in that tournament, narrowly defeating Harmanpreet Kaur-led India in the final. The Australian women's team was captained by the legendary, multi-time World Cup-winning skipper Meg Lanning.
No specific reasons have been provided for cricket's exclusion from the 2026 Games, along with other sports such as field hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling. CWG CEO Katie Sadleir stated, "The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow - an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact - in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting." This suggests that budget constraints are likely behind the trimmed-down 2026 CWG.
Interestingly, cricket is set to return to the Olympics in the 2028 Los Angeles edition, after a 128-year absence. It was last part of the Olympics in 1900 and will now feature in the T20 format. Great Britain won the cricket gold medal in 1900, defeating France in the final. Additionally, cricket made a comeback at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, with India securing both the men's and women's top prizes. The decision to include cricket in the 2028 Olympics was made at the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session held in Mumbai last October.
Niccolo Campriani, director of the LA2028 local organising committee, explained the rationale behind including cricket in Los Angeles: "The commitment to grow cricket in the US is real, and it has already started with the launch of the very first Major League Cricket season earlier this year, which exceeded all expectations. And the [men's] T20 World Cup in 2024 coming to US and West Indies."
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