New Delhi: Australia’s exit from the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 has left the 2021 champions at a serious risk of missing out on a direct spot for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The qualification for LA 2028 will be based on ICC rankings at the end of the ongoing World Cup, subject to the final approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Australia were ahead of New Zealand in the rankings before entering the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup.

However, their early exit has opened the door for New Zealand to surpass them and potentially secure a direct qualification at the Olympics. Based on the ranking scenarios, the Blackcaps can seal a direct spot for the Olympics if they qualify for the semifinals or finals of the tournament.

The Kiwis have a good record in ICC events, having qualified at least the semi-finals in 2007, 2016, 2021 and 2022. If New Zealand manage to surpass Australia in the rankings, then the Aussies will be pushed into a different qualification tournament with other second-ranked regional teams for the last Olympic birth.

If the team fail to qualify, it would be a major setback for Cricket Australia, which has spent many years advocating for cricket’s return to the Olympics.

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will include six men’s and six women’s cricket teams. Cricket will feature at the Olympics for the first time since 1900. In 2007, Cricket Australia commissioned a report on the value of Olympic participation in the T20 format, aiming to push for its inclusion.

Cricket is also scheduled to be part of the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, while India remain a potential host for the 2036 edition. If Australia fail to qualify straight for the 2028 Olympics, it will be major suffer setback for the Aussies.