Knight Riders partner with Major League Cricket to build cricket stadium in Los Angeles

The Knight Riders Group, company that owns IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, on Friday announced their plans to construct a stadium in Los Angeles, USA in partnership with Major Cricket League.

An exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) was approved by the City of Irvine for the construction of a stadium on a 15-acre area at Great Park. The stadium, which will serve as a venue for Major Cricket League matches, could potentially host the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup which is co-hosted by USA and West Indies.

"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 on one of the world’s most iconic metropolitan areas," Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of KKR, said in a release.

KRG, which also owns Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, have been one of the founding investors in MLC and working closely for the launch of the cricket tournament.

“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,” Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, Co-Founders of MLC, said.

The stadium plans include state-of-the-art training facilities, locker rooms, luxury suites, dedicated parking, concessions, field lighting and an international-grade pitch to meet International Cricket Council (ICC) accreditation and allow the venue to host the highest level of international cricket competition.

The ICC had previously submitted its bid for cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.