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 despite cricket’s return in the 2022 Birmingham Games with a women’s T20 tournament, where Australia triumphed over India in the final. The Australian women’s team was led by the renowned captain Meg Lanning.
Cricket, along with other sports like field hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling, has been removed from the schedule. The Commonwealth Games CEO, Katie Sadleir, stated that the 2026 Games aim to be a model for future events by minimizing costs and environmental impact, thus allowing more countries to host.
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 during the 141st International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai. Niccolo Campriani, director of the LA2028 organizing committee, emphasized the commitment to growing cricket in the US, highlighted by the successful launch of Major League Cricket and the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.
Doubts Revealed
Commonwealth Games -: The Commonwealth Games is a sports event where athletes from countries that were once part of the British Empire compete. It happens every four years, like the Olympics.
Glasgow -: Glasgow is a city in Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It is known for its rich history and culture.
Birmingham Games -: The Birmingham Games refers to the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England. It was the event where cricket made a return after being absent for many years.
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 India and many other countries.
Badminton -: Badminton is a sport where players use rackets to hit a shuttlecock over a net. It is very popular in India and is played both indoors and outdoors.
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.
Major League Cricket -: Major League Cricket is a professional cricket league in the United States. It aims to popularize cricket 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 play a shorter format of the game called Twenty20. It is very exciting and fast-paced, lasting about three hours per match.