Cricket will not be included in the schedule for the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG), which will take place in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. This year, only ten sports will be part of the Games. Cricket had returned to the CWG in 2022 with a women’s T20 event, but it will not feature this time. The last time cricket was part of the CWG was in 1998, when a men’s ODI tournament took place in Kuala Lumpur.
No specific reasons were given for the removal of cricket and other sports like field hockey, badminton, shooting, and wrestling. However, Katie Sadleir, the CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation, stated that the 2026 Games aim to redefine the event into a more collaborative and sustainable model. This approach focuses on reducing costs and minimizing environmental impact, allowing more countries to host the Games in the future.
One of the main reasons for the reduced number of sports in the 2026 Games is budget concerns. Glasgow is hosting the event after Victoria stepped back, meaning they will only use existing venues and accommodations instead of building new facilities. This has led to fewer sports being included in the schedule.
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Although cricket is not part of the CWG, it will return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 after being absent for 128 years. Both men’s and women’s T20 cricket will be played in the Olympics. The sport is also gaining popularity, as seen during the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s T20 events.
