It’s official! The International Olympic Committee on Monday gave nod for inclusion of cricket in Olympics. This is the first time since 1900 that the game of cricket has been elevated to Olympic status. Cricket will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the IOC said in the official announcement. Apart from cricket, four other games have also been elevated to Olympic status. These are lacrosse, baseball-softball and squash. Last Friday, the recommendation for the inclusion of cricket was made by the LA officials. During the IOC’s voting, two members voted against the proposal for cricket and one member abstained from voting.

Welcoming the decision of the committee, IOC member Nita Ambani said that elevating cricket to Olympic status would attract lot of interest and this movement would create more opportunities for cricket across newer geographies.

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In a video message released after the IOC announcement, Ambani said, “For 1.4 billion Indians, cricket is not just a sport, it’s a religion! So I’m delighted that this historic resolution was passed at the 141st IOC Session taking place right here in our country in Mumbai.” Monday’s decision marks the return of cricket to Olympics after 123 years. Before this, cricket featured in 1900 Olympics and only two teams took part in the game. In that Olympics in Paris, England defeated France.

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The IOC’s announcement coincides with India hosting the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, featuring matches in various cities. This event is viewed as a significant boost for both the formal and informal economies. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which kicked off on October 5 and is scheduled to conclude on November 19, is poised to generate a substantial sponsorship revenue of about $150 million (approximately Rs 1,250 crore). In terms of media rights, the total viewership in India for the tournament, encompassing television and streaming platforms, is expected to surpass the 552 million viewers recorded during the 2019 World Cup. Notably, global giants are investing at a rate of $3,600 per second in advertising during the Cricket World Cup.