Oakland Coliseum to host Major League Cricket matches this summer
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A cricket match between Team USA and India in New York, New York. Photo: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images
Some of the world's best cricket players are coming to the Oakland Coliseum this summer.
Why it matters: It will mark the U.S. Major League Cricket's inaugural presence on the West Coast and comes after Oakland has lost three major sports teams in recent years.
- Though not as familiar to Americans, cricket is widely considered the second biggest global sport behind soccer, with over 2.5 billion fans worldwide.
Driving the news: Major League Cricket (MLC) announced a deal Wednesday allowing the Oakland Coliseum to host nine matches this year June 12-18. The games will kick off the league's tournament, which will span 34 matches across three venues through the first week of July.
- MLC is the first professional Twenty20 cricket championship in the U.S. and currently features six teams, including the San Francisco Unicorns. (T20 is one of three forms of cricket recognized by the International Cricket Council.)
- The Oakland Coliseum will be adapted to accommodate the matches, including installation of specialized drop-in turf wickets that meet international standards.
- The seven-day gameplay is projected to deliver a $3 million economic boost to Oakland. Ticket prices will start at $20.
What they're saying: MLC has been eyeing the Coliseum since 2022, CEO Johnny Grave told Axios.
- Its field size advantage, coupled with the "huge number of known cricket fans from South Asia" who now reside in the Bay Area, make it a "recipe for success," Grave said.
- The hope is to return to the Coliseum on a regular basis and potentially even partner to host events for the U.S. national team.
- MLC is "very, very serious about investing in the sport, developing these home venues across the United States and expanding from six to 10 teams over the next few years," Grave added.
How it works: A typical Twenty20 game takes around 3.5 hours with two innings that each last 90 minutes and a 10-minute break in between.
- A deviation from the days-long (up to five!) matches, the format was introduced in 2003 to create a fast-paced game that would be attractive to spectators and TV viewers.
- The sport is similar to baseball but features a flat bat; a hard, leather-covered ball; an oval-like field and a rectangular pitch that sees players run between two "wickets." Knock over those wickets while the player is still running and they're out.
- The batting team tries to score as many runs as possible.
👋 Claire Reilly's Aussie thought bubble: Thanks to its English roots, cricket is largely followed in Commonwealth countries across South Asia, as well as the UK, South Africa and the West Indies. It's also one of the most popular summer sports in Australia and New Zealand.
- Like a lot of Americans with a summer fondness for baseball, the sound of cricket games on the radio defines summer in Australia for me.
The big picture: MLC launched in the U.S. in 2023 with the Unicorns among its inaugural teams.
- They don't have a home venue yet but some key players include Haris Rauf, Corey Anderson and Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who currently studies at San José State.
- They are owned by tech entrepreneurs Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, who co-founded Cambrian Ventures and Kosmix (now known as Walmart Labs).
- The league estimates over 100 million fans worldwide watched its tournament last year and is aiming to grow the sport across the U.S.
Fun fact Cricket was recently confirmed as an official event at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- It will be the first time the sport appears at the Olympics since 1900.