As the Paris Olympics 2024 nears its completion, the preparations for Los Angeles 2028 are already underway. Team India are only getting good news for the next Olympic Games, with the inclusion of cricket in the roster of sports.
India's favourite sport, cricket is set to be a part of the next Olympics. The Olympics' Director, Niccolo Campriani, recently talked about the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Campriani said that one star Indian cricketer was the main reason for inclusion of cricket in 2028.
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What did the Olympics Director say about Indian cricketer Virat Kohli?
Campriani elaborated on Virat Kohli's influence as a global sporting icon which was behind the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics. The former Italian shooter stressed on the effort of making cricket a house-hold sport in the United States.
He cited Virat as one of the main reasons to re-introduce cricket as an Olympic sport.
We are thrilled to welcome the world's second most popular sport, with an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide. Some of you might be wondering, 'Why in LA?', Campriani stated.
The commitment to grow cricket in the US (United States) is real. Take my friend here, Virat (Kohli) - he is the third most followed athlete in the world on social media. That is more than Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Tiger Woods, combined.
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Virat Kohli is the main influence for adding cricket to the Olympics - Niccolo Campriani ( Director of the Olympics)
— 𝘿𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙑𝙆18 (@Vk18xCr7) August 11, 2024
The Global Superstar @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/312lKLWgjg
Was cricket ever played at the Olympic Games before?
2028 will not be the first time that cricket would be played at the Olympics. The sport was a part of the 1900 Paris Olympics. Only one match was played in Paris in 1900. Great Britain locked horns against France in a two-day match, with both teams getting to bat two innings each.
Great Britain won the game, beating hosts France in a one-off game.
T20 format, the shortest of the ICC's recognised format, is proposed for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. India are the reigning T20 World CUp champions, beating South Africa on June 29, 2024.
How many followers does Virat Kohli have on social media?
Virat Kohli has over 3000 million followers on all social media platforms combined.
| Social Media | Followers |
|---|---|
| 270 Million | |
| Twitter (X) | 64.6 Million |
| 51 Million |
Which new sports will be introduced in the Olympics from LA 2028 edition?
- Cricket
- Baseball / Softball
- Flag Football
- Lacrosse
- Squash
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