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International Cricket Council CEO Sanjog Gupta on Thursday confirmed that the cricket venue being developed at Pomona will host matches during the 2028 Summer Olympics, marking a historic return of the sport to the grand stage after more than a century.

The stadium, which will also function as the home ground of the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC).

“This is a moment in history because what we are breaking ground on today is not simply a cricket field. We are breaking ground on a promise. A promise that took 128 years to keep,” Gupta said.

Gupta was addressing the audience at the groundbreaking ceremony for the venue that will host cricket during the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Cricket’s return to LA Olympics

Gupta highlighted that cricket’s return to the Olympics after more than a century reflects its immense global following, following approval from the International Olympic Committee for inclusion in the Los Angeles Games.

“That’s how long the world’s second most popular sport, a game played and passionately followed by more than 2.5 billion people, has been missing from the Olympic stage.

“When the International Olympic Committee formally approved cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Games, it wasn’t just a scheduling announcement. It was a recognition that the Olympics should reflect the sports that billions of people love,” he said.

“The International Cricket Council humbly accepted that recognition with our full commitment.”

Pomona venue blends community and sport

Referring to the venue at Pomona, Gupta said its deep-rooted community significance makes it a fitting stage for cricket’s Olympic comeback.

“I can’t imagine a better venue than Pomona for the coming together of this promise. The best things in sport happen when ambition meets community, and Pomona is both.

“This site has served the people of Los Angeles County as the home of the LA County Fair, as a gathering place for trade, culture, and celebration,” he said.

“There is something fitting, almost poetic, about the fact that a venue built on the idea of community coming together will now host a sport that, at its very core, is all about community.”

Knight riders vision for cricket in USA

Gupta also credited the Knight Riders Group for its role in developing the venue and promoting cricket in the United States.

“I want to acknowledge the role the Los Angeles Knight Riders are playing in making this promise possible. The Knight Riders Group, owners of cricket franchises across India, Caribbean, the UAE, and the United States, has made a bold declaration by establishing their official home ground here, with a clear view to positioning this region as a future hub for cricket in America,” he said.

“They want to build this as the nursery for the sport’s future in this country and to bring together the massive cricket community from across the nation.”

A global stage awaits cricket

Gupta emphasised that the Olympic platform will give cricket unparalleled global visibility, with billions expected to watch the Games.

“When the LA28 Games take place in July 2028, the eyes of four billion Olympic viewers will be on Los Angeles. Many of those eyes will fall on Fairplex and on cricket for the first time.

“That is not just a sporting moment, it is a cultural one, the moment cricket introduces itself properly to many parts of the world, including America,” he said.

Beyond numbers the true spirit of sport

Highlighting the broader meaning of sport, Gupta said the Olympics stand for more than commercial success.

“The Olympics remind us why sport matters, not the commerce of it, not the broadcast numbers, not the franchise valuations. At its highest expression, sport is an exchange between nations, cultures, and communities. Cricket has been having that exchange for over a century and a half,” he said.

“Two years from now, at this very ground, it will finally have it on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Today, we are building the ground.

"In 2028, we will be building the future. And as the ICC, we are wholeheartedly committed to this future," Gupta concluded.

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