3 men's teams that would have been favorites to win gold had cricket been part of Paris Olympics 2024 ft. India
The biggest sporting event in the world is underway in Paris in the form of the 2024 Olympics. It presents itself as a huge platform for nearly all of the sports in the world, but cricket, despite being one of the biggest, is a glaring absence.
Cricket was originally part of the 1900 Olympics in the same city, where Great Britain took on host nation France. Since then, although the sport has grown exponentially, it has struggled to be on the game list at the event. With the sport's interest and hype arguably at peak right now since the short format growth and the subsequent expansion, there have been concrete efforts to re-introduce the sport into the Olympics.
A unified effort by some of the cricketing hierarchy's biggest names have led to the sport being incorporated into the 2028 edition of the Olympics in Los Angeles. However, it is still a four-year wait, and cricket being at the ongoing 2024 edition would have been fitting as it would have been right after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
On that note, let us take a look at three men's teams that would have been favorites to win gold had cricket been part of the Paris Olympics 2024.
#1 India
The current T20 champions of the world will undoubtedly head into the Olympics as favorites if the sport was part of the event's itinerary. The Men in Blue already have a gold medal to their name after their triumph at the 2023 Asian Games, and an Olympic gold will be the fitting next step.
India have already sent out their biggest-ever contingent for the Olympics, and the cricket team's inclusion would have added another medal to their tally for sure. For some players in the squad, a red-ball title and an Olympic medal is the sole thing missing from their glittering resume, and India could have used the momentum from their World Cup title to fuel yet another quest.
Even if international assignments were given precedence by teams and second-string squads were the common theme, that would have intensified India's chances as they arguably have the most potent bench in the entire world.
The Men in Blue recently conquered an unchartered territory in the form of the USA, and France would have made a great addition to the list.
#2 Great Britain
There is a lot of animosity between the individual football associations within Great Britain. This is why they have only put out one team for the Olympics since 1960, that too only because they hosted the event in 2012, despite boasting some of the best names in the world.
Such a predicament is unlikely when it comes to cricket, although England and Scotland were at loggerheads during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Great Britain has such a rich tradition at the Olympics, always perched up high in terms of medal standings, and surely cricket can stand to benefit from it.
Although the Great Britain side will largely comprise players from England, Scotland will add some virtue to the side.
Imagine Mark Watt and Adil Rashid bowling in tandem or a top three of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, and Brandon McMullen or Brad Wheal sharing the new ball with the England seamers.
#3 Australia
Wherever there is a chance for a prize to be won in cricket, Australia will be there, whether it be men's or women's version, and they will not settle for anything less than gold. The women's team already have a gold medal to their name when they secured a triumph at the Commonwealth Games.
Much like Great Britain, Australia have a rich legacy and heritage at the Olympics, which the cricket team can profit from. Furthermore, the talent they have in their team speaks volumes, despite their dull 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.
The majority of the squad have experienced success in every form available to them on a cricketing field, whether it be World Cups, Champions Trophy, or World Test Championship. The only missing piece in their silverware (if they even have space for it) is the Olympic medal, and if cricket was part of the ongoing Olympics, they would have gone all out for it.