Cricket At The Olympics: Rahul Dravid Envisions A New Era Beginning In LA 2028

Rahul Dravid, former Indian captain and T20 World Cup-winning head coach, expressed excitement about cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics. He mentioned hearing "serious dressing room conversations" from cricketers eager to compete in the event.

Dravid attended a panel discussion in Paris titled 'Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era', celebrating the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He is a strong advocate for cricket's participation in the Olympics.

The 51-year-old legend believes that players will be thrilled to stand on the podium and be part of the Games Village alongside athletes from various sports. "I've already heard a few conversations in the dressing room. People are talking about the 2026 T20 World Cup, there is an ODI World Cup in 2027, and you hear people saying there is the Olympics in 2028," Dravid said during the discussion.

"People are going to want to win that gold medal, stand on the podium, and be a part of the Games Village, a great sporting event, and interact with so many athletes."

Dravid also noted that as the event approaches, anticipation will grow even higher. Players will be keen to participate in this significant global event. "As you get closer, I have no doubt that teams will be preparing and checking out facilities. They will take this seriously, and players will fight tooth and nail to be out there," Dravid added.

During the discussion at India House in Paris, Dravid was joined by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice. He reminisced about his memories of watching past Olympics and how any athlete would love to be part of such an event.

A Dream Come True

"You grow up watching the Olympics, seeing Carl Lewis winning the gold medal, watching the great athletes perform. You always want to be part of great events like this. The environment, the energy - it's a dream come true," Dravid said.

Dravid hopes that India will win both men's and women's gold medals at the LA Games. More importantly, he believes cricket's inclusion will attract more audience to the Games.

A Vision for Cricket

"The dream for me is to have a fantastic cricket tournament, hopefully Indian men and women winning gold which would be nice. But more than that I wish for everyone here," he said.

"So many Indian fans would be able to come there to LA and support cricket, and show the rest of the world how big and great a sport cricket is."

Although Dravid won't be able to play himself, he plans to attend in some capacity. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to play, but I will make every effort to be in LA in some capacity or another. If not anything else, I will try to get a media job," joked Dravid.