When cricket returned to the global multi-sport stage at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, it did not just meet expectations—it shattered them. For millions of sports enthusiasts worldwide, watching the commonwealth games cricket highlights became an absolute daily ritual. The high-octane Women's Twenty20 (T20) tournament brought unprecedented drama, athletic brilliance, and historic rivalries to the legendary Edgbaston Cricket Ground. If you are looking to relive the magic of those unforgettable matches or searching for where to watch the official cricket highlights commonwealth games packages online, you have come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the most dramatic match-by-match highlights, analyze the epic gold-medal clash between India and Australia, explain how to locate the best official replays, and discuss why cricket is missing from the upcoming Glasgow 2026 program.
The Historic Journey of Cricket at the Commonwealth Games
To truly appreciate the value of the commonwealth games cricket highlights, we must understand just how rare and prestigious this tournament is. Cricket has only featured twice in the entire history of the Commonwealth Games, making every single run and wicket an indelible part of sporting lore.
The Pioneer Event: Kuala Lumpur 1998
Before the T20 revolution transformed global cricket, the sport made its Commonwealth debut at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was a men's 50-over List A tournament that featured 16 teams from across the globe. Unlike standard bilateral tours, the 1998 event saw unique sporting delegations, with individual Caribbean nations like Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua and Barbuda competing independently rather than under the unified West Indies banner.
The tournament was a star-studded affair, attracting some of the greatest legends to ever play the game, including Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Waugh, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis, and Shaun Pollock. The gold medal match was a spectacular showdown between South Africa and Australia. South Africa, captained by Shaun Pollock, emerged victorious, chasing down Australia's total of 183 to win by 4 wickets and claim the historic gold medal. New Zealand secured the bronze. Despite the success and immense fan popularity of the Kuala Lumpur tournament, cricket disappeared from the Commonwealth schedule for over two decades.
The T20 Revolution: Birmingham 2022
After a 24-year hiatus, cricket made a triumphant return at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. This time, the focus shifted entirely to the women's game, featuring an eight-team Women's Twenty20 International (WT20Is) tournament. The decision to feature women's T20 cricket was a major milestone for gender equality in sport and served as a powerful showcase for the explosive growth of women's athletics globally.
All 16 matches were played at the world-famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, which provided a carnival-like atmosphere and record-breaking crowds. The eight participating teams were split into two elite groups:
- Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, and Barbados
- Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka
The stage was set for some of the most fiercely contested cricket matches in recent history, producing highlight reels that fans still search for and watch today.
Birmingham 2022: Unforgettable Match-by-Match Highlights
The 2022 tournament was a rollercoaster of emotions. From stunning collapses to heroic individual performances, here is a detailed breakdown of the key matches that defined the competition—moments you must seek out when watching commonwealth games cricket highlights.
The Epic Opener: Australia vs. India (Group Stage)
If there was any doubt about how competitive the tournament would be, the opening match of Group A between heavyweights Australia and India put those doubts to rest. India won the toss and elected to bat, posting a competitive 154/8 in their 20 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a brilliant 52 off 34 balls, while opener Smriti Mandhana provided a quick-fire 24.
What followed in the second innings was pure drama. Indian pace sensation Renuka Singh Thakur bowled one of the greatest opening spells in WT20I history. She dismantled the formidable Australian top order, dismissing Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, and Tahlia McGrath in quick succession, leaving Australia reeling at 34/4.
However, Australia showed why they are the undisputed queens of world cricket. Ashleigh Gardner played a sensational, ice-cool knock of 52 not out off 35 balls. Aided by a crucial contribution from Grace Harris (37 off 20), Gardner guided Australia to a thrilling three-wicket victory with an over to spare. The highlights of this match are a masterclass in both elite swing bowling and pressure-filled run chases.
The Ultimate Rivalry: India vs. Pakistan (Group Stage)
Any sporting encounter between India and Pakistan carries immense emotional weight, and their clash at Edgbaston was no exception. After rain delayed the start, the match was reduced to 18 overs per side. Pakistan batted first but struggled to find any momentum against India's disciplined bowling unit.
Spinners Sneh Rana (2/15) and Radha Yadav (2/18) choked the Pakistani batters, bowling them out for a paltry 99 runs in 18 overs. India's chase was an absolute masterclass in aggressive batting. Opener Smriti Mandhana played a breathtaking innings, smashing an unbeaten 63 off just 42 deliveries, including eight boundaries and three towering sixes. India chased down the target in a mere 11.4 overs, losing only two wickets. The video of Mandhana's elegant cover drives and lofted shots remains one of the most viewed cricket highlights commonwealth games packages on the internet.
The Semifinal Thriller: India vs. England
The first semifinal saw India take on the host nation, England, in front of a packed, roaring Edgbaston crowd. India batted first and set a formidable target of 164/5. Smriti Mandhana was once again the star of the show, blasting a sensational 61 off just 32 balls, reaching her half-century in a record-breaking 23 deliveries. Jemimah Rodrigues played a vital anchoring role, finishing with a brilliant 44 not out.
England's chase began with intent. Danni Wyatt scored a dangerous 35, and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt fought hard with a gritty 41. However, India's death-bowling execution and athletic fielding turned the tide. Deepti Sharma delivered an incredibly tight spell (1/18 in her 4 overs), and crucial run-outs of Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones choked England in the final overs. England needed 14 runs off the last over, but Sneh Rana held her nerve, restricting the hosts to 160/6. India won by an agonizingly close margin of 4 runs to book their place in the gold medal match.
The Bronze Medal Battle: New Zealand vs. England
After losing their respective semifinals, neighbors England and New Zealand faced off for the bronze medal. England entered as favorites but put on a highly disappointing display in front of their home crowd. Opting to bat first, England’s batting lineup crumbled under relentless pressure from the Kiwi bowlers. Hayley Jensen was outstanding, picking up 3 wickets for 24 runs, while Sophie Devine and Fran Jonas kept things incredibly tight. England managed a meager 110/9 in their 20 overs.
New Zealand made short work of the chase. Captain Sophie Devine led by example, smashing an unbeaten 51 off 40 balls, while Amelia Kerr anchored the innings with 21 not out. New Zealand reached the target in just 11.5 overs with 8 wickets in hand, securing a historic bronze medal and leaving the host nation empty-handed.
The Grand Finale: Australia vs. India (Gold Medal Match)
The gold medal match was the pinnacle of the entire tournament, a fitting finale that will go down as one of the greatest games in cricket history. Australia won the toss and elected to bat, posting a highly competitive 161/8. Opener Beth Mooney was the anchor, scoring a magnificent 61 off 41 balls. Meg Lanning (36) and Ashleigh Gardner (25) made crucial contributions to elevate the score, despite a brilliant comeback from India’s bowlers in the death overs, with Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana picking up two wickets each.
India’s chase started poorly as they lost Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma early. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues staged an extraordinary recovery. The duo put on a spectacular 96-run partnership. Harmanpreet was in devastating form, sweeping and lofting the Australian spinners with ease to score a heroic 65 off 43 balls. At 118/2 in the 15th over, India looked firmly on course for a historic gold medal.
Then, the infamous Australian pressure-cooker kicked in. Rodrigues was bowled by Megan Schutt for 33, triggering a catastrophic batting collapse. Ashleigh Gardner turned the game on its head with her off-spin, picking up the vital wickets of Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar in the same over. India’s lower order crumbled under the intense pressure of the field. A series of panicky run-outs and poor shot selections saw India lose their last 8 wickets for just 34 runs. India was bowled out for 152 with three balls remaining, handing Australia a dramatic 9-run victory and the inaugural Commonwealth Games gold medal. India had to settle for a historic, albeit heartbreaking, silver medal.
Where to Watch Official Cricket Highlights Commonwealth Games Replays
Finding official, high-quality commonwealth games cricket highlights can sometimes be a challenge due to shifting broadcasting rights and geographical restrictions. However, several reliable platforms host legitimate video archives of the Birmingham 2022 tournament:
- Olympics.com (The Official Olympic Hub): Since the Commonwealth Games Federation works closely with Olympic bodies, the official Olympics website hosts an extensive digital library. By creating a free account, you can access full-match replays, condensed highlights, and short clips of key moments, including the spectacular gold medal final.
- The official YouTube channels of global broadcasters: Broadcasters who held the media rights for the 2022 Games have uploaded extensive highlights packages.
- Sony Sports Network / Sony LIV (India): For fans in the subcontinent, Sony's official YouTube channel and streaming app host detailed packages of India's matches, including the historic win over Pakistan and the thrilling semifinal against England.
- BBC Sport (United Kingdom): The BBC maintains extensive digital archives of the Birmingham Games, which can be accessed via BBC iPlayer (for UK residents) or their sports website.
- Channel 7 / 7Plus (Australia): As the primary broadcaster in Australia, Channel 7's digital platform features comprehensive highlights of the gold-medal-winning Australian team.
- FanCode (India): This popular sports streaming platform holds archival digital rights for various Commonwealth Games matches, offering detailed scorecards alongside video-on-demand highlights.
To find these videos quickly, use specific search terms such as "Women's T20 Cricket Australia vs India Commonwealth Games 2022 highlights" on YouTube or your preferred search engine. Avoid unauthorized third-party uploads, which often suffer from poor video quality, lag, and copyright strikes.
The Absence of Cricket in Glasgow 2026 (And What’s Next)
Following the massive success of the Birmingham 2022 tournament, fans were highly optimistic about the future of cricket in the Commonwealth Games. A women's T20 tournament had been tentatively planned for the 2026 edition, and there were active discussions about introducing a men's tournament as well.
However, a series of unexpected administrative shifts drastically altered those plans. The Australian state of Victoria, which was originally scheduled to host the XXIII Commonwealth Games, withdrew in 2023 due to escalating cost projections. With the future of the Games in jeopardy, Glasgow, Scotland, stepped in as a replacement host for 2026.
To ensure the event remains financially viable and logistically manageable on short notice, Glasgow organizers designed a heavily scaled-back, streamlined model. The sporting program was slashed from 19 disciplines to just 10. Unfortunately, cricket was one of the major sports axed from the Glasgow 2026 schedule, alongside other popular events like hockey, shooting, rugby sevens, badminton, and wrestling.
The Road to LA28 and Beyond
While the absence of cricket in Glasgow 2026 is a disappointment for fans who love watching cricket highlights commonwealth games tournaments, the broader outlook for the sport on the multi-sport stage is incredibly bright.
The resounding success of the Birmingham 2022 tournament served as a crucial proof-of-concept for the International Cricket Council (ICC). It demonstrated to global sporting bodies that T20 cricket can attract massive television audiences, fill world-class stadiums, and fit seamlessly into a multi-sport village environment.
This success played a pivotal role in convincing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to officially include T20 cricket in the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28). Both men's and women's tournaments will be featured in LA, marking a historic return to the Olympics after 128 years. Furthermore, with India actively bidding to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, there is a strong probability that cricket will make a triumphant return to the Commonwealth program in the near future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Where can I watch the official 2022 Commonwealth Games cricket highlights?
Official highlights can be watched for free on the Olympics.com digital library. Additionally, regional rights holders like Sony LIV (India), BBC iPlayer (UK), and 7Plus (Australia) host match highlights and replays on their official websites, streaming apps, and YouTube channels.
Q2: Who won the gold, silver, and bronze medals in cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games?
Australia won the gold medal after defeating India by 9 runs in a thrilling final at Edgbaston. India claimed the silver medal, while New Zealand secured the bronze medal by defeating host nation England by 8 wickets.
Q3: Is cricket included in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow?
No, cricket has been excluded from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Due to budget constraints and a shortened preparation timeline, the organizers had to scale back the event to just 10 core sports, axing cricket, hockey, shooting, and several others.
Q4: When was cricket first played at the Commonwealth Games?
Cricket made its debut at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was a men's 50-over List A tournament won by South Africa, with Australia taking silver and New Zealand taking bronze.
Q5: Who were the top performers in the Birmingham 2022 cricket tournament?
Australian opening batter Beth Mooney was the leading run-scorer of the tournament, accumulating 179 runs. India's pace sensation Renuka Singh Thakur was the leading wicket-taker, claiming 11 wickets, including her historic 4-wicket spell against Australia.
Conclusion
The legacy of cricket at the Commonwealth Games is defined by historic triumphs and high-drama finishes. While the sport will be temporarily absent from the Glasgow 2026 program, the incredible memories and spectacular footage from Birmingham 2022 continue to inspire fans worldwide. Watching the commonwealth games cricket highlights is a testament to the spectacular growth of the women's game and a perfect preview of the global excitement awaiting us at the LA28 Olympic Games. Head over to official platforms like Olympics.com or your local broadcaster's YouTube channel to experience these golden sporting moments all over again.
