The stage is set in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which begin on Wednesday. However, this edition has been marked by a noticeable absence of several major sports, including cricket.
In fact, the overall programme has been sharply reduced, with the number of sports cut from 19 at the Birmingham 2022 Games to just 10 in Glasgow.
Along with cricket, disciplines such as hockey, badminton and wrestling have also been dropped, significantly altering the composition of the Games.
Why is cricket not part of Commonwealth Games 2026?
The decision has jolted India’s traditional strength in many of the excluded sports. Cricket’s omission from the Glasgow Games is largely down to financial and logistical constraints.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were initially awarded to Victoria, Australia. However, the state government withdrew as host in 2023 due to escalating costs. Glasgow was later confirmed as the replacement host in September 2024, leaving organisers with limited time to plan and execute the event.
To ensure the Games remain financially viable and sustainable, organisers opted to streamline the programme, reducing the number of sports from 19 to 10, including cricket.
Has cricket featured in the Commonwealth Games before?
Cricket made its debut at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games, with a men’s ODI tournament. The competition featured 16 teams, with South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock, winning the gold medal after beating Australia in the final. New Zealand clinched bronze by defeating Sri Lanka.
Cricket returned after a 24-year gap at the Birmingham 2022 Games, this time as a women’s T20 tournament with eight teams. Meg Lanning-led Australia won gold, India took silver, and New Zealand settled for bronze.
Glasgow 2026: Sports excluded and retained
A total of nine sports from the Birmingham 2022 programme have been excluded from the 2026 Games: Cricket, Badminton, Hockey, Squash, Table tennis, Triathlon, Wrestling, Beach volleyball, Rugby sevens.
Meanwhile, the 10 sports retained for Glasgow 2026 are: Athletics, Swimming, Track cycling, Weightlifting, 3×3 basketball, Bowls, Netball, Artistic gymnastics, Judo, Boxing.
Is this a setback for India?
The shortened programme is a major setback for India, which finished fourth at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with a total of 61 medals. Notably, half of those medals came from sports that have now been dropped.
India won 12 medals in wrestling, 7 in table tennis, 6 in badminton, 2 in hockey, 2 in squash and 1 in cricket.
These six sports alone contributed 30 medals, which was nearly half of India’s overall tally.
Additionally, shooting and archery, disciplines in which India has historically excelled, were already absent from the programme, further reducing the country’s potential medal count.
