Howzat! Shah Rukh Khan to Build ‘World Class’ Cricket Stadium in Los Angeles
- A co-owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Bollywood superstar will be collaborating with a USA Major League Cricket (MLC) for the project.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is planning on building “a world class” cricket stadium in the greater Los Angeles area. The actor, who is also the co-owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will be collaborating with a USA Major League Cricket (MLC) for the project.
In a statement released on April 29 and reported by Indian media, Khan said the investment 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.”
According to the reports, the stadium, to be constructed on a 15-acre land in Irvine, will have a seating capacity of 10,000. The 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. Los Angeles-based HKS architects will reportedly design the stadium.
News reports also quoted Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, co-founders of MLC who noted that their outfit “is committed to building outstanding infrastructure for cricket in key markets accessible to legions of cricket-loving fans.” They added that “Great Park’s position as a hub for community recreation and its array of first-class sports facilities makes it an ideal location for the potential addition of a venue serving the local cricket-loving community and the broader Greater Los Angeles region with major international cricket events set to take place there.”
It is being speculated that the construction of the new stadium will coincide with USA Cricket’s bid for future men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments. The T20 World Cup is already set to be co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, and the ICC is bidding for the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles. “If successful, the stadium at Great Park is expected to be a centerpiece venue for the event in southern California,” said the Times of India report.
On the work front, King Khan will be seen in a power-packed avatar in the action-thriller “Pathaan.” Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone and is scheduled for a January 2023 release. He also has Atlee’s untitled film opposite Nayanthara, as well as Rajkumar Hirani’s “Dunki” opposite Taapsee Pannu, which will release next year on Christmas.