With one hand, the Olympics is set to introduce cricket in the upcoming LA 2028 Games, whereas on the other, the next Commonwealth Games will see no cricket. In Glasgow, where the Commonwealth Games are all set to take place from July 23 to August 2, 2026, we will see ten sports taking the stage in four different venues. Sports like athletics and swimming are going to snatch the spotlight, while some new events are also being introduced. Not only cricket, but other sports such as wrestling, field hockey, badminton, and table tennis have also been removed from CWG 2026.
Cricket, in particular, came as a big surprise, especially considering how well our women’s team performed. India won a silver medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games women’s cricket competition, with Australia taking home the gold after beating India in the final. This sport garnered massive attention, but now cricket is not going to be part of the Commonwealth Games. But what could be the possible reason for its exclusion?
Why Cricket has been axed from the Commonwealth Games
There is no specific reason why this happened. Cricket, which returned to the Commonwealth Games in 2022 after a long break, with the last appearance being in the 1998 CWG in Kuala Lumpur, where the men’s team took part, saw women’s cricket promoted this time. However, its removal surely came as a surprise.
As for what the organizers have to say, they are currently focusing on controlling costs and bringing more financial stability to the event. Logical factors also pushed the decision to remove such quality sports. Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir stated that this upcoming mega event is going to shape the future and that bringing flexibility and minimizing costs can only help the event grow.
Sports that have been removed from the Commonwealth Games 2026
| In | Out |
| Swimming and para swimming | Rugby sevens |
| Athletics and para athletics | Hockey |
| Cycling track and para track | Cricket |
| 3×3 basketball and wheelchair basketball | Triathlon and para triathlon |
| Netball | Squash |
| Boxing | Beach volleyball |
| Lawn bowls and para lawn bowls | Diving |
| Gymnastics | Badminton |
| Judo | Table tennis and para table tennis |
| Weightlifting and para powerlifting | Wrestling , Cycling road and mountain bike |
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