MLC and the Knight Riders group have decided to collaborate to build a 10000-seat cricket stadium in Southern California. If built in time, the stadium could host men’s T20 World Cup matches in 2024.
Major League Cricket, the official T20 league of USA Cricket that is set to be launched in 2024, has put plans in motion for a construction of a brand new stadium in Southern California. The league has brought on board one of its leading investors and the Knight Riders group – principal owners of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
The new venue is aimed to have 10000-seat capacity and is proposed to be constructed in Great Park in the city of Irvine, located about 40 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. According to an MLC source, the new stadium is likely to cost in the range of USD 30 million.
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If given a green signal, there would be a race against time for the venue to be ready before the T20 World Cup 2024, which the USA will be hosting along with the West Indies. The stadium could become a prime venue for USA’s attempt to include cricket as part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Also, the venue should become the home of the Southern California franchise in MLC.
“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.”
Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the Knight Riders, said in an MLC press release.
Great Park is part of a billion-dollar sports complex, publicly funded in 2007. It has adequate infrastructure capable of hosting large crowd events for revenue. The 1300 acre site currently has facilities for a wide range of sports, including tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, volleyball, basketball courts and ice hockey rinks.
