The Knight Riders’ home ground in America has created a lot of buzz among cricket fans around the world. Since the United States is considered one of the biggest markets for the sport, this stadium will play a vital role in the expansion of cricket in the country.
It has now been confirmed that the Los Angeles Knight Riders’ home ground, which is being developed in the Southern California city of Pomona, officially known as the Fairplex, will be used as the official cricket ground for the 2028 Olympics. At the 2028 Olympics, cricket will mark its return to the world’s biggest sporting carnival.
Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore hopes to host IPL teams at their home ground
Furthermore, Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore has informed that they are in talks with multiple governing bodies to include Indian Premier League (IPL) teams along with hosting some exhibition matches. Hosting IPL teams for a few matches is a lifelong dream for the American and Canadian cricket governing boards.
Mysore has informed that they have also had a brief discussion with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in this regard because the Indian Cricket Board is worried that they will not be able to host IPL teams in America. KKR officials hope that with the cooperation of BCCI and other cricket governing boards, they will be able to organize some exhibition matches there.
Discussions have already begun with cricket governing boards
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful? The challenge is always the availability of players. Once the IPL season is over, everyone’s calendars are packed and they are moving in different directions. But the BCCI has talked about some teams going out and playing exhibition games to take the cricket forward… so that is always on the agenda,” Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore told BBC Sport.
He further added, “This is my 16th season with the IPL and we have tried every year, but for some reason it hasn’t happened. There is a real opportunity to build on what is happening with MLC, to expand the market further. When viewership increases, it has a positive impact on things like media rights. It means a lot. But first and foremost – we have to build on what we have started here.”
Stadium capacity will gradually increase year by year
Construction work has started. The crowd capacity of the stadium will be 5,000 in the initial phase. This will be increased to 8,500 by 2027 and then increased to 15,000 for the LA 2028 six-team T20 tournament.
The Knight Riders’ home ground will also host Major League Cricket (MLC) matches. If things go according to plan, the Purple Brigade will play its first game at Pomona on April 1. Seven MLC matches are scheduled to take place at the venue between July 1 and 5.
To host high-profile matches, top-class materiel is used to build a modern stadium with good quality pitches and outfields.
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