Los Angeles Knight Riders face Washington Freedom in MLC 2026 Match 16 at Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex in Pomona, California on Wednesday 1 July 2026, starting at 18:30 PDT (UTC-7). Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex is the first franchise-owned cricket ground in MLC history, purpose-built by Los Angeles Knight Riders at the Fairplex complex. The ground holds 8,000 spectators for cricket. Major League Cricket 2026 is the tournament’s third season.

Match Overview: Los Angeles Knight Riders vs Washington Freedom

Los Angeles Knight Riders host Washington Freedom at their purpose-built home ground in Pomona. LAKR, the 2024 MLC champions, have invested in permanent cricket infrastructure at the Fairplex site, giving them a home-ground advantage that most MLC franchises do not yet have. Washington Freedom arrive as the nation’s capital franchise trying to upset the reigning champions on their home turf.

Los Angeles Knight Riders are owned by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, which has won the IPL 3 times (2012, 2014, 2024 KKR; plus the MLC 2024 title for LAKR). The Hollywood location and KKR’s association with Bollywood figures gives this franchise an outsized cultural profile.

Washington Freedom are MLC’s capital franchise, representing the Washington D.C. metro area. The region’s South Asian population, concentrated in Northern Virginia and Maryland suburbs, provides a committed fanbase. The Freedom name carries deliberate resonance with D.C.’s political identity.

Key matchup: Sunil Narine and Andre Russell for LAKR against Steve Smith and Anrich Nortje for WF. The Knight Riders Cricket Field’s intimate setting amplifies the quality of individual duels, with no bad seats in the ground.

What Time Is the Match in Your Timezone?

The 18:30 PDT start on 1 July 2026 converts as follows across major cricket-watching regions:

• India (IST, UTC+5:30): 7:00 IST
• UK (BST, UTC+1): 2:30 BST
• Australia/Sydney (AEST, UTC+10): 11:30 AEST
• USA/New York (EDT, UTC-4): 21:30 EDT
• USA/Los Angeles/PDT (UTC-7): 18:30 PDT

Check Los Angeles time and US time zones for live conversion.

Venue: Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona

Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex in Pomona is the first purpose-built franchise-owned cricket ground in MLC. Los Angeles Knight Riders developed the facility at the LA County Fairgrounds complex, creating a dedicated cricket venue with 8,000 spectator capacity. Pomona sits approximately 45 kilometres east of downtown Los Angeles, with the greater LA metro area home to an estimated 250,000-strong South Asian community. The Southern California climate, with warm evenings and minimal dew, tends to produce consistent conditions across both innings.

Why This Venue Matters for American Cricket

A franchise investing in permanent cricket infrastructure is a signal of long-term commitment to the American market. The Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex is not a converted baseball stadium or temporary setup: it is cricket-first design, reflecting confidence in MLC’s trajectory. Cricket’s 2028 LA Olympics inclusion, the first time the sport appears at the Games since 1900, makes Los Angeles a meaningful cricket city for the next decade.