The sport of cricket has reached new heights as it marks it return in the quadrennial showpiece for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In a historic move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, October 16 announced the inclusion among five others as part of the 2028 Games.
It is to be noted that this decision comes after cricket was played in 1900 in Paris last time and now will grace the 34 th Olympiad in 2028. Meanwhile during the address, Niccolo Campriani, Los Angeles Sports Director opened up on the inclusion of cricket and credited it to the popularity of former India captain Virat Kohli.
Addressing the gathering, Campriani said, “My friend here Virat Kohli, he is the third most followed athlete in the world on social media with 340 million followers. That’s more than LeBron James, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods combined.” “It is a ultimate win-win situation for LA28, IOC and cricket community a cricket will be showcased on a global stage, in order to grow it beyond traditional cricketing nations and give it access to untapped communities of athletes and fans,” he further added.
Virat Kohli’s IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also acknowledged the words of Niccolo. “KOHLIFIED! The Fan and the Brand, not just for RCB or Team India, but for Cricket as a sport too!” they captioned the post.
It is to be noted that the 34-year-old is currently playing at the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. In the three matches, Kohli has finished with the scores of 85 (off 116 balls vs Australia), 55 (off 56 vs Afghanistan), and 16 (off 18 against Pakistan).