Why is Cricket not part of Commonwealth Games 2026?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Cricket has featured only twice in the Commonwealth Games’ history.
Cricket’s time at the Commonwealth Games was a brief one, with Glasgow 2026 drawing the curtain. It returned to the multi-sport event at Birmingham 2022, marking its second appearance since Kuala Lumpur 1998 after a 24-year absence.
India reached the women’s T20 final in Birmingham but lost to Australia, and the competition generated enough interest to suggest the sport had a genuine future at the Games. However, one year later, the rug was pulled out.
The story of why cricket won’t be at Glasgow 2026 is not really about cricket. The Australian state of Victoria withdrew from hosting the games in July 2023, citing spiralling costs; as a result, the CWG Federation was left without a host city less than three years before the event.
Glasgow stepped in, but only under the condition that the city would not build a single new venue. Everything had to fit within existing infrastructure across four venues in an eight-mile corridor. That constraint brought the sports programme down from 19 disciplines at Birmingham to just 10.
Cricket, along with hockey, badminton, table tennis, squash and several others, did not make the cut. The omission of the sport was a big blow for India, who would have been among the favourites to win a medal.
Despite the exclusion, one expects cricket to be back in future editions of the Commonwealth Games, primarily due to the sport’s growing popularity worldwide.
Cricket will make its Olympic Games return at the LA 2028 Games, with six men’s and women’s teams each, set to battle it out for the ultimate prize in the sporting universe.
Cricket medal winners at the Commonwealth Games
| Year | Team (Event) | Medal |
| 1998 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | South Africa (Men’s 50 over) | Gold |
| 1998 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Australia (Men’s 50 over) | Silver |
| 1998 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | New Zealand (Men’s 50 over) | Bronze |
| 2022 – Birmingham, England | Australia (Women’s T20) | Gold |
| 2022 – Birmingham, England | India (Women’s T20) | Silver |
| 2022 – Birmingham, England | New Zealand (Women’s T20) | Bronze |
Why is Cricket not part of the Commonwealth Games 2026?
Budget-driven cuts and Glasgow’s compact hosting model led to its omission from the 2026 programme.
When will the CWG 2026 begin?
The CWG 2026 will begin on July 23.
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Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.