One of the biggest and most talked about rivalries in cricket is the India vs Pakistan match, but these two teams now face each other only in ICC events or multi-team tournaments. There is no bilateral series between these two teams in any format. The last time both the teams were face to face in the Asia Cup 2025 final, where India won and became the champion. Women’s teams had competed in the recently concluded World Cup, here also India had won. Now in men’s cricket, both the teams will face each other in the T20 World Cup next year, but the discussion regarding Olympics 2028 is also intense. India vs Pakistan match may not be seen here.

During its recent board meeting in Dubai on Friday, the ICC confirmed that 6 teams each from men’s and women’s categories will participate in the Los Angeles Olympics. Looking at the current situation, it is believed that there will be no India vs Pakistan match in the 2028 Olympics.

Tournament roadmap ready

Instead of selecting teams based on the ICC T20 International rankings, the top teams from each region/continent will qualify. The sixth team will be decided through a global qualifier. Talking about T20 International rankings, India remains the number one team in the shortest format.

On the basis of existing rankings, Indian team from Asia, Australia from Oceania, England from Europe and South Africa from Africa will qualify. It remains to be seen whether the USA team, being the host country, will participate or the West Indies team will play. Let us tell you that cricket was included in the Olympics only once before. In the 1990 Paris Olympics, only the teams of France and Britain played, there was a direct final between them. Britain had won in this.

This means that there will be no India vs Pakistan match in the Olympics 2028 to be held in Los Angeles. Information about the global qualifier has also not been revealed yet. According to reports, ICC will release detailed information soon. The roadmap of the tournament is almost ready.

On the one hand, protests continue in the Asia Cup over India vs Pakistan match. The demand for cancellation of this match is intensifying day by day. Meanwhile, there is news that India-Pakistan match cannot be held in Olympics 2028 (Cricket in Olympics), a rule of ICC has emerged as the biggest reason for this. In fact, according to The Guardian, the International Cricket Council has prepared a qualification process for the cricket tournament at the Olympics, under which any of the same team in Asia will be able to participate in the Olympics.

According to The Guardian, the ICC has approved the process of qualifying teams on regional basis. Top rank teams from Asia, Oshiania, Europe and Africa will get direct qualification in Olympics. If this is the case, four of the 6 teams qualifying for the Olympics will be in India, Australia, South Africa and Great Britain.

The USA team from the US continent will qualify as a host, but it can be changed as the ICC sought resignation from the USA Cricket Board as part of the Olympic certification outline. If the USA Cricket Board did not accept it, then the slot of the American team will go to any one Caribbean country. At the same time, there is still doubt about the sixth and last place, for which it is also possible to organize a qualification tournament.

India-Pakistan match will not be there

If this new system is implemented, only the top ranked T20 team of Asia will be able to qualify for the Olympics. India is currently not only Asia but the world’s number-1 T20 team, while Pakistan is in eighth place. In such a situation, Team India will get an Olympic ticket from Asia, but teams like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will not be able to play in the Olympics.

The New Zealand Cricket Board has also not liked this rule, which is currently fourth in the T20 rankings. But the top team from Oshiania is Australia, which is second in the ranking. Whereas due to qualification on regional basis, South Africa will qualify even after being fifth below New Zealand in the ranking.

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