Knight Riders Cricket Ground
Interactive map of Knight Riders Cricket Ground | |
| Location | Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave Pomona, California, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°05′11″N 117°45′59″W / 34.08639°N 117.76639°W |
| Owner | Los Angeles County Fair Association (Fairplex) |
| Operator | Knight Riders Group |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) (2026–present) | |
| Knight Riders Group | |
|---|---|
| Current Teams | |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (2008–present) Trinbago Knight Riders (2015–present) Trinbago Knight Riders Women (2022–present) Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (2023–present) Los Angeles Knight Riders (2023–present) | |
| Stadium | |
| Knight Riders Cricket Ground (2026–present) |
Knight Riders Cricket Ground is a cricket ground under construction at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. Announced in March 2026 with construction beginning the following month, it will serve as the home stadium of the Los Angeles Knight Riders of Major League Cricket (MLC), and is expected to host the Twenty20 cricket tournaments during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
History
Initial plans, cricket at the Olympics
In November 2020, the Knight Riders Group—led by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan—made an investment in the then-upcoming U.S. Twenty20 (T20) league Major League Cricket (MLC), and was granted ownership rights to the Los Angeles franchise that would become the Los Angeles Knight Riders. Khan stated that he was "closely watching the potential" for T20 in the United States as part of his efforts to grow the Knight Riders brand globally.[1]
In March 2022, MLC parent company American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) announced plans to invest US$110 million into new and existing U.S. cricket grounds to serve as home stadiums for MLC teams in the future. The Knight Riders proposed the construction of a 10,000-seat stadium at the Great Park sports complex in Irvine, California, which was reported to have an estimated cost of $30 million. The stadium was proposed as a site for international cricket events such as ICC tournaments (including the then-upcoming 2024 Men's T20 World Cup co-hosted by the United States), as well as a proposal for cricket to be contested at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles [2][3][4]
In the meantime, MLC launched with a neutral site model, with most matches played at the Grand Prairie Stadium—a former baseball stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas that had been purchased by ACE and converted to a cricket-specific facility; the stadium is intended as the home stadium of the Texas Super Kings. The league has occasionally played matches outside of Grand Prairie, including at Church Street Park, Central Broward Park, and the Oakland Coliseum.[5][6][7]
In October 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the addition of T20 cricket and four other sports to the 2028 Summer Olympics' program, marking the first time cricket will be contested as an Olympic event since 1900.[8] In April 2025, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LAOCOG) announced that cricket would take place at a temporary cricket ground constructed at the Fairplex, similar to the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium constructed near New York City for the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup.[9][10] In August 2025, it was reported that the Fairplex was negotiating with the Knight Riders Group to fund a permanent facility instead, which could be used by the Los Angeles Knight Riders, and expanded with temporary seating for the Olympics.[11]
Construction
On March 19, 2026, the Knight Riders Group announced that they had leased land at the Fairplex to construct a cricket stadium known as the Knight Riders Cricket Ground, which will serve as the Los Angeles Knight Riders' home stadium, and is expected to host cricket during the 2028 Summer Olympics.[12][13]
Construction of the $21 million stadium began with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 26, 2026, attended by Pomona mayor Tim Sandoval, Fairplex president and CEO Walter Marquez, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore, LAOCOG vice president of sports Niccolò Campriani, and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta among other figures.[14] It is anticipated to be completed by July 2026, being scheduled to host seven matches (including three Knight Riders matches) as part of the 2026 MLC season.[12][13] Upon its completion, it will become the second cricket stadium developed for MLC behind Grand Prairie Stadium.[15] The stadium will initially seat up to 5,000 spectators, but will be expanded to 12,000 seats by 2027, and then 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.[16][17]
Khan stated that the project aims to "create not just a cricket ground, but a space of energy, community, and belonging."[15] ICC president Jay Shah stated that the grounds were "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 center stage during the Games and leave a legacy for cricket in the USA."[15]
Tenants
Los Angeles Knight Riders
The Los Angeles Knight Riders will serve as the main tenant of the stadium.[15][12]
References
- ^ Penna, Peter Della (November 30, 2020). "Knight Riders Group buys stake in USA T20 franchise project Major League Cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ Della Penna, Peter (March 18, 2022). "USA T20 franchise league MLC projected to spend $110 million on facilities ahead of 2023 launch". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "MLC, Knight Riders team up for 10,000-seat stadium near Los Angeles". ESPNcricinfo. April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders and MLC to build cricket stadium in Los Angeles". The Times of India. April 30, 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ^ Della Penna, Peter (November 15, 2022). "Major League Cricket set for July 2023 launch in Dallas". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ Penna, Peter Della (March 19, 2026). "LA Knight Riders to play MLC 2026 matches at own venue in Pomona, California". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ "Steve Smith reportedly looking to join $174 million Major League Cricket next year". Fox Sports. February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ "IOC approves five additional sports for LA 2028 Olympics, including cricket". Al Jazeera English. Doha. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "LA 2028: Olympic cricket tournament will be played in a California fairground as New York overlooked". BBC Sport. April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Fairgrounds in Pomona to host cricket at LA28 Olympics". ESPNcricInfo. April 15, 2025. Archived from the original on April 16, 2025. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ Lavalette, Tristan. "Olympic Stadium In Spotlight Amid American Cricket Chaos As 2028 Los Angeles Looms". Forbes. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ^ a b c Lockard, Melissa (March 20, 2026). "Oakland Coliseum to host Major League Cricket playoffs, title match in July". The Mercury News. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ a b Penna, Peter Della (March 19, 2026). "LA Knight Riders to play MLC 2026 matches at own venue in Pomona, California". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ "ICC celebrates LA28 stadium construction milestone". International Cricket Council. April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Knight Riders break ground on $21 million LA venue for cricket's Olympic return". Cricbuzz. April 24, 2026. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ^ "LA 2028: Olympic cricket venue 'on agenda' for IPL expansion into USA". BBC Sport. April 24, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ^ "Cricket arrives in Pomona with field, major league team and Olympics venue at the Fairplex". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. April 23, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.