Nathan Lyon and Virat Kohli

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has voiced his support for including all-abilities cricket in the Paralympics, following the sport’s recent addition to the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 in the T20 format. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 approved cricket’s return to the Olympic Games, marking its first appearance since 1900. This historic decision has been met with widespread enthusiasm from cricket fans globally, particularly as it highlights the sport’s expanding influence on the world stage.

Cricket’s rising popularity and digital influence

In a video going viral on social media, Niccolo Campriani, president of the Los Angeles Local Organising Committee (LALOG), spoke extensively about cricket’s surging popularity in the United States of America (USA), which recently co-hosted the T20 World Cup 2024.

He also emphasized the pivotal role of cricket icons, notably Virat Kohli, in the IOC’s decision to include cricket in the Olympics. Kohli, who became the first Indian to reach 250 million followers on Instagram in May 2023, is a digital powerhouse, ranking just behind football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of social media followers.

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The strategic importance of cricket in the Olympics

Campriani pointed out the importance of a strong digital presence to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to younger audiences. He stated, “Cricket offers a unique platform to engage the youth. Consider my friend Virat—he’s the third-most followed athlete on social media worldwide, with 314 million followers. This figure surpasses the combined following of LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Tiger Woods. The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics is a significant victory for LA 28.”

Nathan Lyon’s call to action for inclusive cricket

Building on Campriani’s remarks, Lyon used social media to advocate for extending cricket’s reach by incorporating all-abilities cricket into the Paralympics. Quoting a video of Campriani discussing Kohli’s impact on cricket’s Olympic inclusion, Lyon urged the cricket boards of England, Australia and India, as well as Kohli, to support this initiative. In his post on X, Lyon wrote, “And let’s add All Abilities cricket to the Paralympics @ECB_cricket @CricketAus @BCCI @imVkohli @Vk18xCr7,”

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