Knight Riders Cricket Ground opens in Southern California

A new international cricket stadium officially opened in Southern California on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the sport's growth in the United States and its upcoming return to the Olympic Games. The Los Angeles Knight Riders played their inaugural home match at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, falling to the Washington Freedom in a Major League Cricket contest.

The $21 million facility, located at the Fairplex event complex about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was constructed in under 70 days. The inaugural match drew an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,000 spectators, predominantly from the South Asian community. Washington Freedom successfully chased a target of 109 runs, guided by unbeaten innings from Steve Smith and Mark Chapman. Left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar was named Player of the Match for his bowling performance.

International Cricket Council Chairman Jay Shah congratulated Bollywood superstar and team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on the project, calling it a "key milestone" in cricket's Olympic return. In a social media post, Shah said the stadium was made possible by collaboration between the franchise, the LA28...