Cricket is set to make a historic return at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after 128 years. Both men’s and women’s events will feature six participating nations, with matches being played in the T20I format. This effectively rules out the chances of Indian stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20I cricket after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli Jokes About Playing Olympics

However, Virat Kohli has played a major role in cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics. Last year, LA 2028 Olympics Director Niccolo Campriani highlighted Kohli’s massive fan following as a key factor in the decision. “The commitment to growing cricket in the US is real. Take my friend here, Virat (Kohli) – he is the third most followed athlete in the world on social media. That’s more than LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Tiger Woods combined,” Campriani said.

Recently, at an RCB event, Isa Guha asked Kohli whether he would return to T20I cricket to play in the Olympics. Kohli’s answer was a clear no, but he jokingly added that if India were playing for a gold medal, he might just sneak into the team.

For the Olympics? No. But if we are playing for a gold medal, I just might sneak in for one game, win a medal, and then return home,” Kohli joked about playing in the Olympics.

Virat Kohli may have ruled out playing in the 2028 Olympics, but the 2027 World Cup is still on his radar. There were speculations that Kohli and Rohit might retire after winning the 2025 Champions Trophy, but after the tournament, both dismissed any talks of retirement.

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According to reports, ODI captain Rohit Sharma is keen on giving the 2027 World Cup a shot. To achieve this, he has decided to improve his fitness and is working with India’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar. Considering Rohit Sharma’s impressive record in ICC events, he certainly deserves one more tournament.