Former India captain and world-cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid feels that the inclusion of Cricket in the LA 2028 Olympics is phenomenal. Dravid opined that it’s the dream of any sportsperson to be a part of the vibe and atmosphere that the Olympics generate.

“If you love sport as I have, you grow up with the Olympics,” Dravid said at India House – Celebrating India at the Paris Olympics 2024. “My earliest memories are of Carl Lewis winning at the Olympics and television coming to India. We used to be glued to the television sets to watch these great athletes perform and play. You always wanted to be a part of a great event. You have great events in cricket but they are individual events. To be in this kind of environment, energy and vibe is a dream come true for any sportsman.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially added Cricket along with other four disciplines for the 2028 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. It will be played in the T20 format and feature six teams from both the men’s and the women’s competition. Baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash have also been included at the Olympics following last year’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in Mumbai.

The T20 World Cup concluded last month and was co-hosted by the USA, making it cricket’s newest center. It was the first time that USA was hosting a major cricket event. Dravid also reflected on the passion for the game in the States.

“We know there is an incredible audience for cricket in the USA. We know that just from the number of people who travel from USA to other World Cup events. There is a huge passion for the game in the USA. Just growing the game and having more people play the game was phenomenal,” he said.

“It always felt like cricket should be a part of this [Olympics]. It is truly a great game. It is followed by so many people around the world. It is fantastic for someone like me who is now only a fan. It is truly phenomenal,” he added.