Glasgow, July 23: Cricket will not feature at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with organisers opting for a significantly reduced sporting programme after Glasgow stepped in as the replacement host for the multi-sport event.
The omission is a major setback for cricket-playing nations, particularly India, whose women’s team won the silver medal when the sport made its return to the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham in 2022 after a 24-year absence. Cricket had previously featured only once before, at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games.The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games has been scaled down to just 10 sports and 215 medal events, a sharp reduction from the 20 sports contested at Birmingham 2022. The trimmed programme has also led to the exclusion of badminton, hockey, wrestling, squash, table tennis, rugby sevens, beach volleyball, diving and triathlon, among others.
The decision follows the withdrawal of the original host, Victoria in Australia, in July 2023 after projected hosting costs escalated to an estimated AUD 6-7 billion. The Games remained without a host until Glasgow agreed to stage the event, with the Scottish government receiving financial backing from Commonwealth Games Australia.With less than two years to prepare and a focus on limiting expenditure, organisers decided to conduct the Games using only four existing venues and a reduced competition schedule.
The streamlined format has also resulted in around 2,000 fewer athletes taking part compared to the previous edition. As a consequence, cricket, despite its growing international profile and successful return in Birmingham four years ago, has been left out of the Glasgow Games programme.
Although cricket misses out in Glasgow, it is set to feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, marking its return to the Olympic movement after more than a century, while its inclusion in future Commonwealth Games will depend on the host city’s programme and organisational priorities. (Agencies)
