Knight Riders, MLC announce plans for multi million dollar stadium near Los Angeles

The Major League Cricket T2O (MLC) and the Knight Riders Group (KRG), controlled by Shah Rukh Khan, have announced that they are in talks with the city of Irvine in Southern California, some 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles, to develop a 10,000-seat cricket stadium. The stadium will be erected on a 15-acre plot of land in the city’s Great Park, which covers 1300 acres and is home to a number of other athletic venues. MLC is required to produce six world-class cricket grounds as part of its deal with USA Cricket, in addition to running the country’s marquee T20 tournament, which will begin in 2023.

This announcement follows similar announcements of cricket stadium construction in Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and a substantial renovation of Church Street Park in North Carolina. HKS, an Australian firm that developed Perth’s new Optus stadium, will be hired to design these venues. According to an MLC insider, they are optimistic that the stadium will be built and accredited by the ICC in time for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies. The MLC’s Los Angeles franchise will be housed at the building, which is projected to cost roughly USD 25-30 million. They have come back strong after losing their first two matches, winning the following five. They would have made it six out of six if they hadn’t fallen to GT by the tiniest of margins.

That loss shouldn’t bother them, and CSK are maybe the best opponent for SRH to get back on track at this stage. Umran Malik’s success has mirrored that of SRH, as he, too, struggled at the start of the competition before bouncing back in style. At the moment, he is their most potent weapon, and CSK will have to tread carefully around him. Given their uneven head-to-head record, SRH seldom enters a match against CSK as favourites, but momentum is on their side.

“Our investment in MLC in America is based on our belief in the exciting future of cricket in the USA and is well aligned to our strategy of establishing Knight Riders as a global brand in T20 cricket. Plans to build a world class cricket stadium in the greater Los Angeles area is exciting for us and MLC. This will no doubt have a transformational impact for cricket in one of the world’s most iconic metropolitan destinations.” said Shahrukh Khan.

“MLC is committed to building outstanding infrastructure for cricket in key markets accessible to legions of cricket-loving fans. We’re grateful to the City of Irvine for agreeing to explore this development in the heart of Orange County. Great Park’s position as a hub for community recreation and its array of first-class sports facilities makes it an ideal location for the addition of a venue serving the local cricket-loving community and the broader Greater Los Angeles region with major international cricket events set to take place there.” said Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, Co-Founders, Major League Cricket.