Cricket is making a historic comeback to the Olympics after 128 years. The sport will feature in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and the venue has now been revealed. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on April 16 that the matches will take place at the Fairplex ground in Pomona, California. The location, which spans 500 acres, will host a temporary venue for cricket matches. Remarkably, the Fairplex is just 57 kilometers away from Hollywood, the global epicenter of cinema.

The Fairplex in Pomona has been the site of the Los Angeles County Fair for 103 years, since 1922. While it has never hosted cricket or any other major sports event, the ground has become a symbol of Californian tradition. Now, the venue will be temporarily adapted to accommodate cricket for the 2028 Olympics. This follows a similar setup when the United States hosted the T20 World Cup in 2024, where a temporary stadium was also constructed in a park.

A key detail in the lead-up to the announcement was the Olympic Committee's use of a poster featuring none other than Virat Kohli. The poster, which promotes cricket's return to the Olympics, features only Kohli, highlighting his enormous global popularity. His influence in the sport has reportedly played a part in the decision to include cricket in the Olympic Games. The committee has recognized his immense fan following, particularly in the T20 format, which is set to be played at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently approved the inclusion of six teams each in both the men's and women's categories, all competing in a T20 format for Olympic medals. A total of 90 athletes (45 men and 45 women) will participate, with each team allowed to field a squad of up to 15 players.

While the qualification criteria are yet to be finalized, reports suggest that the U.S. team might receive automatic entry as the host nation. The remaining five teams are likely to qualify based on their ICC rankings. This means that the top five ranked teams in both men's and women's cricket could secure a place in the Olympics.

As the excitement builds up for cricket’s Olympic return, all eyes are on how the sport will evolve in the Olympic arena, starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Games.