Reports: Victoria to bat for inclusion of men's T20 at 2026 Commonwealth Games

It has been reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will be bidding for the inclusion of cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles, 2032 Brisbane, and future events. While that is a far-off process, cricket will be a part of the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games which will be held in England’s Birmingham from 28 July to August 8.

The Women’s T20 cricket will be making its debut at the quadrennial event. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Victoria has expressed interest in having a men’s T20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games for the next edition in 2026. However, there is one issue that might play a spoilsport in the organizer’s plans and it is the world’s toughest T20 league- the IPL.

The organizers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria want to add men’s T20 cricket: Reports

It has been learned that the Australian state of Victoria would be hosting the next edition of the prestigious Commonwealth Games in four years’ time. They have batted for the inclusion of men’s T20 cricket.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, “The organizers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria want to add men’s T20 cricket to the schedule and stage games at the MCG – but their plans could be scuppered by the IPL.”

The report further adds that “Cricket has again been listed as one of the 16 sports on the initial programme for Victoria, with games to be played in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, and Gippsland.”

Men’s cricket was included for the first time during the 1998 edition of the Games in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and since then it has not been played for the next two decades. Meanwhile, the schedule for the 2026 Commonwealth Games has not been revealed yet but should the event be organized in the March-April window, then all plans related to men’s cricket could go for a toss as the Indian Premier League is staged around this time.

As of now, all eyes will be on the Women’s T20 at the Birmingham Games as cricket makes a comeback to the competition after a long hiatus.