The Kolkata Knight Riders franchise has officially started work on a $21 million cricket venue in the wider Los Angeles region, laying the foundation for what is expected to be a key stage for the sport\u2019s comeback at the LA28 Olympic Games\u2014over a hundred years after cricket\u2019s only prior appearance at the tournament. The new stadium is planned for the Pomona Fairgrounds, roughly 30 miles from central Los Angeles, with the land being provided to the franchise through a long-term lease arrangement involving the city of Pomona. The project also builds on Knight Riders\u2019 early involvement in Major League Cricket, a move that made them the first IPL-linked franchise to commit investment to the American T20 landscape, stepping into the league ecosystem before other IPL owners such as Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.<\/p>\n
Since then, those IPL groups have gone on to secure stakes in MLC, but the Pomona development stands out as one of the most substantial single infrastructure investments made by an IPL franchise in the competition so far. It forms part of a larger effort to expand cricket facilities across the United States. While multiple turf installations have been added in different parts of the country in recent seasons, the Pomona venue is set to become only the second cricket-dedicated stadium under the MLC ownership framework, following the Grand Prairie Stadium in the Dallas area.<\/p>\n
Speaking around the launch of the build, co-owner Shah Rukh Khan said the moment was about more than construction, describing it as the beginning of a broader vision to bring cricket\u2014widely regarded as the world\u2019s second most-followed sport\u2014into the centre of Los Angeles\u2019 sporting identity. He added that, through a long-term working partnership with Fairplex, the aim is to create more than just a playing ground, with a focus on energy, community and a sense of belonging for local fans. The venue was first revealed last month, and the plans have already been confirmed to include hosting seven matches during the opening week of July.<\/p>\n
The stadium design is also set to reflect modern cricket requirements, with a substantial playing area that will incorporate eight turf wickets. The initial seating plan is for 5,000 spectators, with a roadmap for growth that could raise capacity to 12,000 by 2027, timed to align with preparations for the LA28 Games. Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council, said the build signals a particularly exciting period for cricket as it continues to spread as a global sport. He emphasized the sport\u2019s push to broaden its presence worldwide and noted that involvement in the Olympic movement brings both pride and long-term aspiration. Shah also described the groundbreaking as an important step in cricket\u2019s return to the Olympics and a meaningful moment for ICC members and stakeholders, expressing confidence that the Pomona venue will become a focal point during the Games while leaving a lasting legacy for cricket in the USA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Kolkata Knight Riders franchise has officially started work on a $21 million cricket venue in the wider Los Angeles region, laying the foundation for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Kolkata Knight Riders Start LA28 Cricket Venue Project","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"KKR kicks off a $21m cricket venue at Pomona Fairgrounds for LA28, aiming to boost the sport\u2019s return to the Olympics with a new stadium build.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n