It has been 126 years since cricket, the second most watched sport globally, featured in the Olympic Games. That is set to change in 2028, with construction now underway for a premier cricket stadium in Pomona, California, located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County. The venue will have a capacity exceeding 10,000 and will host both men's and women's matches during the Olympics.
Stadium Development and Cultural Significance
The stadium is being built at the Fairplex fairgrounds and will serve as the home ground for the Los Angeles Knight Riders, a professional Major League Cricket team owned by Mumbai-based Knight Riders Sports, co-led by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The groundbreaking ceremony included a "bhumi pujan," a Hindu ritual that seeks divine blessings and forgiveness for disturbing the earth, reflecting the deep cultural roots of cricket among South Asian diaspora communities in the United States.
For many cricket fans, coaches, and players in the U.S., this dedicated stadium in a major sports market like Southern California represents a significant milestone. Investors hope that momentum from local major league games will carry into the Olympics, introducing the sport to a mainstream American audience and creating pathways for homegrown talent.
Commercial Potential and Olympic Impact
Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders Sports, described the Knight Riders Cricket Field as a crucial first step in engaging average American fans. He emphasized the commercial potential of cricket as an Olympic sport. "People who watch the Olympics are not necessarily cricket fans," Mysore noted. "When cricket becomes an Olympic sport, that takes interest and awareness to the next level."
Knight Riders Sports operates teams in India, the Caribbean, and the United Arab Emirates, but the Pomona venue is the only stadium the company has built from scratch. Currently, only three international-level cricket stadiums exist in the U.S., located in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, with additional matches played at multi-purpose venues like the Oakland Coliseum.
Historical Context and Local Talent
Peter Della Penna, who has covered U.S. cricket for two decades, noted that this is the first time an international cricket event in the U.S. will have a dedicated venue. In 2024, a high-capacity modular stadium was built for the T20 World Cup in New York but was dismantled afterward. Della Penna stressed the importance of having Olympic cricket matches in Los Angeles, allowing players to stay in the Olympic Village alongside other athletes. "Cricketers in America have not had such prominence, and U.S. cricket really needs that," he said.
Cricket has a long history in the U.S., with the first international match played between the U.S. and Canada in 1844 in Manhattan. Olympic cricket was last contested in 1900 in Paris, where the Games were a sideshow to the World's Fair. The sport did not appear in the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. In Los Angeles, cricket began around 1900, with the Hollywood Cricket Club formed in the 1930s by British expat actors like Errol Flynn and Laurence Olivier. The club's original home at Griffith Park was demolished for an equestrian center for the 1984 Olympics, and it later moved to Woodley Park.
Ayan Desai, a 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler who plays for the Seattle Orcas and the U.S. national team, expressed excitement about the new stadium. His family owns a motel near the future venue. "To play the Olympics is special, but to do it in front of your home crowd, in your home city, that would be amazing," Desai said. He has competed in four international games and believes the stadium is what is needed to grow cricket in Los Angeles.
Sustainability Concerns and Optimism
Reggie Benjamin, a former U.S. cricketer and longtime coach from Antigua, remains skeptical about the sport's sustainability. While happy to see cricket showcased, he questioned whether average Americans would attend games or if American children would take up the sport. Benjamin also expressed disappointment over homegrown talent being overlooked in favor of players from other countries and pointed to management issues within U.S. cricket.
Last year, USA Cricket filed for federal bankruptcy protection after ending a contract with American Cricket Enterprises, which created Major League Cricket. The International Cricket Council has since been temporarily running the U.S. national team. Despite these challenges, investors like Mysore remain optimistic about cooperation between USA Cricket and Major League Cricket. "A strong national team is important because it keeps interest alive in the sport," Mysore said.
Walter Marquez, CEO of the Fairplex, a self-described diehard baseball fan, has been learning about cricket and sees potential for growth. He noted that the T20 format, which will be used in the Olympics, offers excitement similar to home runs in baseball. "For those who don't know cricket, given an opportunity, they will learn what an exciting game it is," Marquez said. "American sports fans just don't know they're cricket fans yet."
