Cricket is on the verge of making its return to the Olympic Games after more than a century. Organizers have recommended the inclusion of Twenty20 cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, marking a significant milestone for the sport. The proposal will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee for a vote in the upcoming week.

Alongside cricket, two other sports are poised to make their Olympic debuts in 2028: flag football, a non-contact version of American football, and squash.

These recommendations, along with baseball/softball and lacrosse, which missed out on inclusion in the Paris 2024 Games, highlight a commitment to embracing innovative and community-based sports, played in various settings across the United States and the world, according to LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman.

The final decision regarding cricket's inclusion will be determined when International Olympic Committee members convene in Mumbai during the next week. It is anticipated that both men's and women's T20 cricket tournaments will be featured at the LA Games.

Host cities have the opportunity to propose additional sports for the Olympic program when they host the event, a precedent set by the Tokyo 2020 Games, which introduced surfing, sport climbing, karate, baseball/softball, and skateboarding.

Cricket's previous and only appearance at the Olympics dates back to Paris 1900, where Great Britain emerged victorious over France in a match that had unique rules, including 12 players per side and a Test format played over two days.

Flag football, governed by the National Football League (NFL), adopts a five-a-side format on a smaller pitch with no contact. Instead of tackling, players aim to remove the flag from the ball carrier.

Squash, which has sought Olympic inclusion for several years, faces competition from other sports like breakdancing and missed out on previous opportunities for inclusion in the Games.