Cricket Excluded from 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scheduled from July 23 to August 2, 2026, will not feature cricket, as reported by ESPNCricinfo. This decision comes after cricket’s return in the 2022 Birmingham Games with a women’s T20 tournament, where Australia triumphed over India in the final. The Australian team was led by Meg Lanning, a celebrated captain with multiple World Cup victories.
Cricket, along with sports like field hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling, has been removed from the 2026 schedule. No specific reasons have been provided for this exclusion. However, CWG CEO Katie Sadleir mentioned that the 2026 Games aim to be a model for future events, focusing on cost reduction, environmental sustainability, and social impact, potentially influencing the decision.
Interestingly, cricket is set to return to the Olympics in the 2028 Los Angeles edition after 128 years, featuring in the T20 format. The decision was made at the 141st International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai. Niccolo Campriani, director of the LA2028 local organizing committee, highlighted the growing interest in cricket in the US, marked by the launch of Major League Cricket and the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.
Cricket also made a comeback at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, with India winning gold in both men’s and women’s categories.
Doubts Revealed
Commonwealth Games -: The Commonwealth Games is a big sports event where athletes from countries that were once part of the British Empire compete in various sports. It happens every four years.
Glasgow -: Glasgow is a large city in Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It is known for its rich history and culture.
Budget considerations -: Budget considerations mean thinking about how much money is available to spend. In this case, it means deciding which sports can be included in the Games based on how much they cost.
Field hockey -: Field hockey is a team sport played on grass or turf, where players use sticks to hit a ball into the opponent’s goal. It is popular in countries like India, Australia, and the UK.
Badminton -: Badminton is a sport where players use rackets to hit a shuttlecock over a net. It is played indoors and is very popular in India and other Asian countries.
Olympics -: The Olympics is a major international sports event that happens every four years, where athletes from all over the world compete in various sports.
Los Angeles -: Los Angeles is a big city in the United States, located in the state of California. It is famous for Hollywood and its entertainment industry.
Major League Cricket -: Major League Cricket is a professional cricket league in the United States. It aims to make cricket more popular in the US, similar to how the IPL is popular in India.
T20 World Cup -: The T20 World Cup is a global cricket tournament where teams from different countries compete in the T20 format, which is a shorter and faster version of cricket.
