The International Cricket Council held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 23 at the Fairplex Grounds in Pomona, Los Angeles County, marking the start of construction for the stadium that will host cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Cricket is returning to the Olympic programme after a 128-year absence. The LA28 competition will use the T20 format.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah described the occasion as “a major milestone for the game and its 2.5 billion fans worldwide.” He said being part of the Olympic movement brings “both pride and dreams” and expressed confidence the Pomona venue would “take centre-stage during the Games and leave a legacy for cricket in the USA.”
ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said the ceremony was “a ‘ground-breaking’ moment in cricket’s return to the Olympic Games, both for the sport and for the Olympic movement.” He added that cricket had stepped into a “new era of global growth powered by improved accessibility, elevated visibility and stronger institutional support,” and pointed to record attendance and engagement at recent ICC events as evidence of momentum.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included LA28 Vice President of Sports Niccolò Campriani, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Consul General of India in Los Angeles Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore, and Fairplex President and CEO Walter Marquez.
The ICC said Olympic inclusion would expand cricket beyond traditional strongholds and make a meaningful impact in the Americas, while unlocking additional government funding for participating nations.
Sri Lanka is expected to compete at LA28, giving Sri Lanka Cricket a new high-performance target alongside the ICC global cycle. The qualification pathway for LA28 has yet to be finalised by the ICC.
