This Partnership will establish a national network of Knight Riders Cricket Academies across the United States, connecting community cricket development, leading to the professional league
Los Angeles, [United States], April 27: Knight Riders Sports, owners of cricket franchises across four continents and one of the sport’s most recognised global brands, has partnered with CricMax Connect as the Official Cricket Development Partner of the Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR). The partnership, announced today by LAKR and CricMax Connect, will establish a national network of Knight Riders Cricket Academies to develop youth cricket across the United States.
While over $300 million has been invested in professional cricket infrastructure in the United States through Major League Cricket (MLC), it is equally important to build programs that create a feeder system for various leagues and encourage youngsters to take up the sport.
As the American audience grows rapidly for Cricket, among the 5.4 million-strong South Asian diaspora and beyond, this partnership is designed to bridge that gap by combining Knight Riders Sports’ globally proven franchise model with CricMax Connect’s decade-long track record in community cricket development, its established network of academies and township partnerships, and its exclusive role as the cricket partner of the PlayLA Olympic youth initiative.
This partnership further strengthens CricMax Connect’s position as a key growth engine for cricket in the United States ahead of the sport’s return to the Olympic stage at LA28.
As part of their long-term vision for cricket in the United States, the Los Angeles Knight Riders have unveiled the Knight Riders Cricket Grounds at Fairplex in Pomona, Los Angeles County, CA, as their official home venue for the 2026 season.
The venue is set to host key major cricket matches this season, marking an important step in establishing a dedicated cricketing base in Southern California. Beyond matchdays, this facility reflects the Knight Riders’ continued investment in building Los Angeles into a leading cricket destination in the United States while also supporting both professional competition and the growth of cricket at a grassroots level.
Under the agreement, the two organisations will jointly build Knight Riders Cricket Academies nationwide, supported by professional coaching programs, masterclass clinics, and talent exhibition pathways that provide young cricketers with direct exposure to best practices in the sport. CricMax Connect’s proprietary technology platform, Quixera, will power talent identification and scouting across the network.
Mr. Venky Mysore, CEO, Knight Riders Sports, said: “This partnership with CricMax Connect is a strategic step towards building a strong grassroots foundation for cricket in the United States. By combining our global ecosystem with their community-led expertise, we are creating a clear pathway from youth development to the professional game. As the sport grows in the United States, our focus is on nurturing talent, strengthening the ecosystem, and ensuring long-term, sustainable growth for cricket in America.”
“We’ve spent over a decade building cricket from the ground up in American communities, coaching youth, partnering with townships, and earning our place as the exclusive cricket partner of PlayLA and the LA28 Olympics,” said Vinay Bhimjani, CEO of CricMax Connect and former CEO of USA Cricket. “The partnership with Knight Riders’ and its global platform will enable us to bring our scouting expertise and technology infrastructure together with their franchise reach to deliver what American cricket has been missing: a complete ecosystem that develops talent at the grassroots and connects it to the professional game.”
About the Knight Riders
The Knight Riders brand is a global brand in International Cricket, with nine trophies to its name and four professional franchises under its wings – Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the TATA IPL, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in UAE’s International League T20 and Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in USA’s Major League Cricket, making it one of the most versatile brands in T20 cricket globally.
KKR has appeared in four TATA IPL finals, winning the championship three times (2012, 2014, 2024). They finished runners-up in the 2021 season, staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in the tournament’s history. TKR’s Men’s Team has won the CPL championship 5 times in 11 years since the Knight Riders took over the franchise. They are the most successful team in the Caribbean and hold the unique distinction of having won the trophy in 2020 without losing a single game in the tournament. TKR Women, the Knight Riders’ first-ever Women’s Team, were champions of the inaugural WCPL in 2022.
For many years now, the Knight Riders Academy has been actively scouting talented cricketers from across India and around the world. The sole objective of the Academy is to identify and help cricketers make an overall round-the-year improvement in their cricketing skills and fitness.
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For more information on Knight Riders, please reach out to Himanish@kkr.in
About CricMax Connect
CricMax Connect is America’s community cricket infrastructure platform, powering youth development through branded academies, coaching technology (Quixera), premium equipment, and coach certification programs. Led by former USA Cricket CEO Vinay Bhimjani alongside BCCI-veteran coaching leadership, CricMax Connect is the exclusive commercial cricket partner of the PlayLA initiative ahead of the LA28 Olympics.ad of the LA28 Olympics.
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