Reports | BCCI open to sending Men’s and Women’s teams should Cricket be included in 2028 Olympics

There has been no official confirmation as to whether Cricket will be a sport in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but should the sport be included in the event, people of India could very well oversee both the Men’s and Women’s Cricket teams representing the nation in the world event. Reports have emerged that the Apex Council of the BCCI, in a meeting on Friday (April 16), gave the green signal to send both the Men’s and Women’s teams to Los Angeles in 2028, provided the autonomy of the board is not affected. 

"The apex council, has in principle, accepted that the teams will be sent to the Los Angeles games if cricket is included in the roster. And it has also been decided to send the women's team for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The details will be worked out over a period of time," Sportstar quoted a BCCI official as saying. 

The road ahead could, however, be potentially tricky should the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decide to intervene or interfere. Cricbuzz reports that the BCCI are extremely keen to preserve autonomy, and are even keen to ‘consult a few associations whose autonomy was preserved despite being an Olympic sport.’

"We do not want to be bossed over by the IOA, that is the bottom line. We will seek clarity on the roles. The participation is subject to the BCCI's identity and independence not being compromised," a BCCI source told Cricbuzz.

Apart from giving the go-ahead for the 2028 Olympics, the BCCI are also said to have given the green signal for the Women’s national team to participate in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.