New Delhi: July 1 will be a pivotal moment for cricket in the US, and California in particular, when the Knight Riders Cricket Ground will host its first match. Major League Cricket (MLC). 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 located in Fairplex, Pomona, California.At a ceremony in April, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called the venue “the home of cricket for LA28”. Cricket will return to the Summer Games for the first time since 1900. The venue will host seven MLC matches during the fourth season. When the first ball is thrown, it will become the second stadium built for MLC after Grand Prairie Stadium.HistoryAfter the Knight Riders Group invested in MLC in 2020, becoming the first IPL franchise to buy the playing capacity in the country, Shah Rukh Khan said he was “looking closely at the potential” for T20 in the United States.In 2022, as the American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) professionalized the MLC and gained ICC recognition, the Knight Riders proposed to build a 10,000-seat venue in Irvine, California.In 2023, as cricket got the chance to move to the LA Olympics, the search for a venue began. Last year, the LA 2028 organizing committee declared Fairplex a temporary purpose-built venue for cricket.
Members of the LA Knight Riders team at the opening ceremony of the Knight Riders Cricket Ground. (AP)
Instead of resurrecting a temporary facility, the Knight Riders group expressed a desire to provide a permanent facility.It was confirmed in March and given an official stamp a month later. At a ceremony on April 22, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Fairplex President and CEO Walter Marquez, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore, Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LAOCOG) Vice President of Sports Niccolò Campriani, and Cricket Region ICOGOC attended. Basically its biggest infrastructure development.“Today is not just about breaking ground, but about starting a dream – bringing cricket, the second most-watched sport in the world, to the center of Los Angeles’ sports identity. Through our long-term partnership with Fairplex, we aim to create not just a cricket ground, but a place of energy, community and connection,” said Rukh Khan, co-owner of LAK.
New grass has been planted for a world-class cricket pitch at the Pomona Fairplex, seen during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Knight Riders Cricket Field, which will host the home of the Los Angeles Knight Riders for MLC 2026 and later cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics. (AP)
ICC Chairman Jay Shah said: “These are very exciting times for the game of cricket as it takes great strides in establishing itself as a global sport. Our focus is on growing the profile of cricket and being part of the Olympic movement is something that brings with it both pride and dreams.“Cricket’s return to the Olympics is an important milestone 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 America.”MLC CEO Johnny Grieve said: “Bringing Major League Cricket to Los Angeles is a huge milestone for the growth of our league and cricket across America.”“The Pomona Fairgrounds will be the future home of Olympic cricket in 2028, and we are thrilled to give fans in Southern California their first taste of the game at this iconic venue that is home to the LA County Fair.”Quick facts
A puja ceremony was held during the groundbreaking ceremony for the official home field of the Los Angeles Knight Riders. (AP)
Location: Pomona Fairgrounds, approx. 30 miles from downtown Los AngelesConstruction cost: $21 millionCapacity: Currently 5,000. 12,000 by 2027. 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.Pitches: 8 TurfMatches:
- July 1: LAKR vs Azadi
- July 2: Orcas vs. MINY
- July 3: LAKR vs TSK
- July 4: Independence vs. Unicorns
- July 4: LAKR vs MINY
- July 5: Orcas vs TSK
- July 5: Unicorns vs MINY
