Cricket Was A Part Of Commonwealth Games In 2022. Why Not This Year?
Commonwealth Games 2026: Cricket, along with 8 other sports, was removed as part of a cost-cutting measure by the organisers in Glasgow, Scotland.
- The Indian women's cricket team won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Cricket was reintroduced to the Commonwealth Games in 2022 after a 24-year gap
- The 2026 Commonwealth Games will not feature cricket along with eight other sports
The 2022 Commonwealth Games saw the Indian women's team win the silver medal, losing the final to Australia. It was after a gap of 24 years that cricket had returned to the CWG. However, the 2026 edition does not feature the sport, be it in the women's format or the men's. This change will be noticed not just with cricket, but with eight other sports as the Commonwealth Games begin on Thursday, July 23. Cricket was first introduced to the Commonwealth Games in the 1998 edition, which took place in Kuala Lumpur. However, a lot has changed over the last 28 years.
Why Cricket Was Removed From CWG 2026
The 2026 Games were originally scheduled to take place in Victoria, Australia. However, in July 2023, the Victorian government pulled the plug and gave up the hosting rights for the event, stating that the hosting costs had ballooned to AUD 6-7 billion (USD 4-5 billion).
With the future of the Games in jeopardy, Glasgow, Scotland, stepped in as a late replacement. To host the event at short notice and prevent complete cancellation, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and local organisers adopted a cost-effective, lightweight model funded entirely without public tax money.
To stay within a strict budget and make the Games possible using just four existing venues, the number of sports was cut from 19 to just 10 compared to the last edition, which was held in Birmingham.
Cricket, which had featured a women's T20 tournament in Birmingham 2022, was dropped alongside a number of other top sports such as hockey, badminton, table tennis, wrestling, and rugby sevens.
Cricket requires specialised turf preparation, significant pitch maintenance, and large squad sizes, elevating the organisers' costs. The 2026 Games focus on limiting the event to sports that can easily share existing indoor arenas and track facilities, allowing organisers to minimise venue conversion costs and keep other expenses under control.