Victoria is pushing for a men’s T20 tournament to be staged at the Commonwealth Games

The organisers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria want to add men’s T20 cricket to the schedule and stage games at the MCG – but their plans could be scuppered by the IPL.

The Australian state has been confirmed as the next host of the Games following this summer’s event in Birmingham, where women’s T20 competition will take place for the first time.

Cricket has again been listed as one of the 16 sports on the initial programme for Victoria, with games to be played in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Gippsland.

While there has deliberately been no clarification over whether the sport will be contested by both genders or just women again, Sportsmail understands Victoria and the Commonwealth Games Federation are pushing for the introduction of a men’s T20 tournament.

If they were to be successful, Victoria would want some men’s matches – particularly those involving Australia – to be played at Melbourne’s 100,000-capacity MCG, which is so far only being used for the opening ceremony.

Games organisers plan to hold formals talks with cricket’s world governing body, the ICC, in the next few months with a decision set to be made by the end of the year.

The Australian state was confirmed as the hosts of the games, with Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Gippsland hosting events 

However, the IPL threatens to disrupt organisers’ plans with men’s cricket already facing a very busy schedule

Men’s cricket has not featured at a Commonwealth Games since 1998 and the ICC are keen to see it added to major multi-sport events, with a stated aim of it being part of the programme for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

However, sources believe the scheduling of the 2026 Commonwealth Games for March will pose an insurmountable problem in that it clashes with the start of the IPL in what is an already packed men’s calendar.

While there could still be scope for leading nations to field weakened men’s teams in Victoria – or an Under-23s side like in Olympic football – that may not be favourable with organisers or the ICC.

As well as the 16 sports announced so far, up to seven more are set to be added following a mini bidding process which will ramp up following the conclusion of this summer’s Games.

Esports has not been included on the initial programme but it is being piloted in Birmingham and, if it proves to be popular, it is expected to be added to the schedule for 2026 for the first time – as first revealed by Sportsmail in February.