Knight Riders Cricket Ground is not just the growth of MLC, but the rise of cricket in the USA

ByTech Word News

Officials broke ground on the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Southern California. (AP) New Delhi: July 1 will mark a watershed moment for cricket in the US and more specifically in California as the Knight Riders Cricket Ground hosts its first Major League Cricket (MLC) match. With the LA Knight Riders hosting their first game of the season against the Washington Freedom, it will be a big moment for the facility set up in Fairplex, Pomona, California.At a ceremony in April, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called the venue “cricket’s home for LA28”. It will be the first time cricket has returned to the Summer Games since 1900. The venue will host seven MLC games during the fourth season. When the first ball is thrown, it will become the second stadium developed for MLC after Grand Prairie Stadium.HistoryAs the Knight Riders Group invested in MLC in 2020, becoming the first IPL franchise to buy into the sport’s potential in the country, Shah Rukh Khan said he was “closely watching the potential” for T20 in the United States.In 2022, when American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) gave the MLC a professional look and earned ICC recognition, the Knight Riders proposed to build a 10,000-seat venue in Irvine, California.In 2023, with cricket in the lead for the LA Olympics, the hunt for a venue began. Last year, the LA 2028 organizing committee announced the Fairplex as a purpose-built temporary cricket venue.

Members of the LA Knight Riders team at the inaugural event for the Knight Riders Cricket Ground. (AP)

Rather than bring a temporary facility to life, the Knight Riders expressed a desire to fund a permanent facility instead.It was confirmed in March and given the official stamp a month later. At a ceremony on April 22 attended by Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Fairplex President and CEO Walter Marquez, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore, Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LAOCOG) Vice President Niccolò Campriani and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta accepted his biggest journey in cricket.“Today is not just about breaking ground, but the beginning of a dream – to bring cricket, the second most watched sport in the world, to the heart of Los Angeles’ sporting identity. Through our long-term partnership with Fairplex, we aim to create not only a cricket ground, but also a space of energy, community and belonging,” LAKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan said in a statement.

New fresh grass is being planted at the Pomona Fairplex for a premier cricket field, seen during the start of construction on the new Knight Riders Cricket Ground, which will serve as the home of the Los Angeles Knight Riders for MLC 2026 and later host cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics. (AP)

Jay Shah, Chairman of the ICC, said: “These are very exciting times for the game of cricket as it makes huge strides in establishing itself as a global sport. We are focused on expanding cricket’s footprint and being part of the Olympic movement is something that brings both pride and dreams.“The landmark event is an important milestone in cricket’s return to the Olympics and a proud moment for all ICC members and stakeholders around the world. We are confident that this venue will take center stage during the Games and leave a legacy for cricket in the USA.”Johnny Grave, CEO of MLC, said, “Bringing Major League Cricket to Los Angeles is a huge milestone for our league and for the growth of cricket across the United States.“The Pomona Fairgrounds will be the future home of Olympic cricket in 2028 and we are excited to give fans in Southern California their first taste of the sport at this storied venue that is home to the LA County Fair.”Fast facts

The puja ceremony was performed during the opening ceremony of the official home field for the Los Angeles Knight Riders. (AP)

Location: Pomona Fairgrounds, approx. 30 miles from downtown Los AngelesConstruction cost: $21 millionCapacity: 5,000 for now. 12,000 by 2027. 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.Field: 8 lawnsMatches:

  1. July 1: LAKR vs Svoboda
  2. July 2: Orcas vs MINY
  3. July 3: LAKR vs TSK
  4. July 4: Freedom vs Unicorns
  5. July 4: LAKR vs MINY
  6. July 5: Orcas vs TSK
  7. July 5: Unicorns vs MINY