Cricket dropped from Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

In a major development, it was announced that there would be no cricket at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG). The event will be held in Glasglow from July 23 to August 2. 

It is worth noting that only 10 sports will be part of the Commonwealth Games, which has meant that cricket, which was included in 2022, will no longer be a part of the event. 

Furthermore, no specific reason behind Cricket’s exclusion from the CWG 2026 was given. However, Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir recently came forward and talked about the 2026 CWG being a stepping stone for games of the future. 

"The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow - an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact - in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting,” Katie Sadleir was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

Also Read: LA28 Olympics set to hold cricket matches in New York

It has been reported that budget has been a major reason why some sports have been cut from the event and quite possibly from the subsequent events as well.

Cricket will be making a return at the LA28 Olympics after a hiatus of 128 years with men's and women's T20s, and was a part of the CWG in 2022. Australia won the gold medal, defeating India in the women’s category. Furthermore, the sport was also included in the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

In the Asian Games, India won the gold medal in both the men’s and the women’s events. However, despite CWG making the decision to remove it, it has been confirmed to feature in the LA28 Olympics. 

"Some of you might be wondering why [cricket] in LA. Well, the commitment to grow cricket in the US is real, and it's already happening with the launch of the very first Major League Cricket season earlier this year, which exceeded all expectations. And the [men's] T20 World Cup in 2024 coming to the US and West Indies,” Niccolo Campriani, director of the LA2028 local organising committee said.