"Can't wait to play cricket for India at the Olympics," said Jemimah Rodrigues, expressing her excitement about representing the nation at the Los Angeles Games.
New Delhi [India], August 13 : Indian women's cricket team batter Jemimah Rodrigues shared her enthusiasm about representing India at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Cricket is set to make its return to the Olympic stage for the first time since 1900, following a decision made last year. The last Olympic cricket match was held between Great Britain and France, with Great Britain winning by 158 runs. After 128 years, cricket will be reintroduced to the Olympic programme at LA 2028 in the T20 format.
Jemimah expressed her excitement on Instagram, posting, "Loved wearing the current Indian Olympic jersey. Can't wait to play cricket for India at the Olympics soon! Man, what a feeling that'd be."
She also praised Indian athletes, saying, "Our Indian athletes have shown tremendous passion, commitment, persistence, and grit! Win or lose, we're proud of you."
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Meanwhile, Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting, a three-time ODI World Cup champion, believes that cricket's inclusion in the Olympics will help the sport reach a global audience and boost its popularity.
"It can only be a positive thing for our game. I’ve been part of various committees over the past 15 or 20 years, and bringing cricket back into the Olympics has always been a top priority. Finally, it’s happening," Ponting told The ICC Review, as quoted by Olympics.com.
Cricket was one of five additional sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed its inclusion last year.
"The Olympic Games, watched by people worldwide, will introduce our game to entirely new audiences, which is already growing daily. The key will be facilities, infrastructure, and how many teams participate. I'm excited about the direction the game is taking and the growth we're seeing in new markets," added the former World Cup-winning captain.
Ponting was also part of the Australian team when cricket made its debut at the Commonwealth Games in 1998.