The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given its approval for the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This decision follows the acceptance of a proposal by the LA organizers, who put forward cricket as one of five new sports for the 2028 Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach made this announcement after the conclusion of a two-day executive board meeting in Mumbai.

In addition to cricket, the 2028 Olympics will feature four other new sports: baseball/softball, flag football (non-contact American football), squash, and lacrosse. The LA 2028 Games organizers had expressed their desire to include these sports earlier in the week.

According to IOC regulations, each host city has the option to request the inclusion of specific sports in their respective editions of the Games. Thomas Bach confirmed, "These proposals have been accepted as a package by the IOC Executive Board."

The next step in the process of finalizing the inclusion of these sports in the Olympics will be the IOC session, scheduled to commence on Sunday. The IOC session will need to officially approve the board's recommendation.

Regarding the promotion of cricket's popularity on a global scale, IOC President Thomas Bach emphasized that the Olympic committee will collaborate with the International Cricket Council (ICC) rather than individual cricket authorities of specific nations. He stated, "With cooperation from the ICC, we will explore ways to make cricket more popular."

It's worth noting that cricket enjoys immense popularity in India, and the sport has been gaining a growing global audience. The inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Olympics marks its return to the event after a gap of 128 years since its last appearance in the 1900 Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach mentioned that they are still in the proposal stage, and the exact number of teams participating in the cricket event is yet to be determined.