The Olympic cricket stadium being built for the 2028 Los Angeles Games could eventually host Indian Premier League (IPL) teams as part of the league's expansion into the United States, according to Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore.
Construction has begun at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, where a modular venue will be developed in three phases. This summer, it will seat 5,000 fans, rising to 8,500 in 2027 and reaching 15,000 for the six-team T20 tournament at the 2028 Olympics.
The stadium will become the home of Los Angeles Knight Riders, KKR's US franchise, and will host Major League Cricket (MLC) matches this July. Mysore also envisions the ground staging IPL exhibition games as the competition looks to grow its footprint in the US.
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Mysore told BBC Sport. "The challenge is always player availability. Once the IPL season is over, everyone's calendars are packed… But the BCCI has talked about a couple of teams going out and playing exhibition games to grow cricket… so that's always on the agenda."
Mysore noted that there have been "concrete proposals" from both the US and Canada to host IPL teams in the past, though none materialized. He added: "This is my 16th season with the IPL and we've tried every year, but somehow it hasn't happened."
With the US being the world's largest sports market, Mysore sees a major opportunity: "There's a real opportunity to piggyback on what's happening with MLC to grow the market further. When viewership goes up, it has a positive effect on things like media rights. It makes a lot of sense. But first things first – we have to deliver what we've started here."
A key priority is ensuring the Pomona pitches are world-class, given the extra attention on cricket's return to the Olympics after 128 years. The 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, drew criticism for subpar surfaces. Mysore is confident the new venue will meet elite standards.