Last Updated: October 12, 2023, 12:12 IST
India won Gold in both men’s and women’s cricket at the 19th Asian Games. (AP)
There have been four instances of cricket being played in a major multi-sport event, including the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games
Cricket is set to be included in the Olympic Games at the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, with the decision set to be ratified and announced at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai.
One of the most popular sports across the world, cricket is reaching new grounds. Born in England and raised by India, cricket is also spreading beyond the Commonwealth.
In fact, cricket was first played in a major multi-sport event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. South Africa won the gold medal, beating Australia by 4 wickets in the final as New Zealand walked away with the Bronze.
The who’s who of the cricket world graced the tournament, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, among others, representing India. A star-studded Australian team took part, including Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Tom Moody, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist. South Africa had Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Mark Boucher.
Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar as well as Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene were in action too. Other participants were teams from Zimbabwe, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica of the West Indies, Northern Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia, Canada, Bangladesh and Scotland.
Cricket returned at the 2022 edition in Birmingham with the women’s teams. England, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Barbados and Sri Lanka took part. Meg Lanning’s Australia clinched the gold medal, beating Harmanpreet Kaur’s India in the final. Sophie Devine led New Zealand to the Bronze over Heather Knight’s England.
Cricket was first played in the Asian Games in 2010, which was hosted in Guangzhou, China. Bangladesh won the men’s Gold, beating Afghanistan as Pakistan clinched Bronze. In the women’s competition, Pakistan clinched Gold, beating Bangladesh and Japan got Bronze.
At the 2014 edition, in South Korea’s Incheon, Sri Lanka won the men’s Gold, beating Afghanistan in the final and Bangladesh finished with Bronze. Pakistan again won the women’s Gold, beating Bangladesh again in the final as Sri Lanka won the Bronze.
Most recently at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, India won Gold in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Afghanistan and Sri Lanka got Silver in the men’s and women’s events with Bangladesh clinching Bronze in both.