Knight Riders Cricket Ground Breaks Ground in Southern California

Officials break ground at the site of the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in southern California. (AP)

New Delhi: July 1 will mark a watershed moment for cricket in the USA and more specifically in California, when the Knight Riders Cricket Ground hosts its first match in 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 set up in Fairplex, Pomona, California. At the ceremony in April, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called the venue "cricket's home for LA28". It will be the first time cricket will return to the Summer Games since 1900. The venue will host seven MLC matches during the fourth season. When the first ball is bowled, it will become the second stadium developed for MLC after the Grand Prairie Stadium.

History

When the Knight Riders Group invested in the 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, as American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) gave MLC a professional look and earned ICC recognition, Knight Riders proposed constructing a 10,000-seater venue in Irvine, California. In 2023, as cricket got the go-ahead for the LA Olympics, the hunt for a venue began. Last year, the LA 2028 organising committee announced the Fairplex as the purpose-built temporary venue for cricket.

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

Instead of bringing a temporary facility to life, the Knight Riders Group expressed a desire to fund a permanent facility instead. That was confirmed in March and given the official stamp a month later. In 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 Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LAOCOG) vice president of sports Niccolò Campriani, and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, cricket's journey in the region received arguably its biggest infrastructural boost. "Today isn't just about breaking ground, but about beginning a dream - bringing cricket, the second most-watched sport in the world, into the heart of Los Angeles' sporting identity. Through our long-term partnership with Fairplex, we aim to create not just a cricket ground, but a space of energy, community, and belonging," said LAKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan in a statement.

New fresh grass is grown for a world-class cricket pitch at the Pomona Fairplex, seen during the groundbreaking of the new Knight Riders Cricket Field, which will serve as the Los Angeles Knight Riders' home for MLC 2026 and later host cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics. (AP)

Jay Shah, the ICC chairman, said: "These are very exciting times for the game of cricket as it makes giant strides in establishing itself as a global sport. Our focus has been on expanding the footprint of cricket and being part of the Olympic movement is something that brings both pride and dreams with it. "The groundbreaking marks an important milestone in cricket's return to the Olympics and is a proud moment for all ICC members and stakeholders worldwide. We're confident this venue will take centre 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’re thrilled to give fans in Southern California their first taste of the sport at this well-known venue that is home to the LA County Fair.”

Quick facts

A puja ceremony was conducted during the groundbreaking ceremony for the official home field for the Los Angeles Knight Riders. (AP)

Location: Pomona Fairgrounds, approx. 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles

Construction cost: $21 million

Capacity: 5,000 for now. 12,000 by 2027. 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.

Pitches: 8 turfs

Matches:

July 1: LAKR vs Freedom

July 2: Orcas vs MINY

July 3: LAKR vs TSK

July 4: Freedom vs Unicorns

July 4: LAKR vs MINY

July 5: Orcas vs TSK

July 5: Unicorns vs MINY