In a significant effort towards cricket’s global expansion, the Knight Riders group has officially opened the doors to their brand new international stadium in the United States. The new Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Los Angeles marked its historic unveiling on Wednesday by hosting its inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) match between the Los Angeles Knight Riders and Washington Freedom.

The purpose-built venue at Fairplex Pomona represents a major infrastructure milestone, making the Knight Riders the first global franchise brand to set up their own international-standard cricket stadium abroad.

Taking to social media to celebrate this historic occasion, Bollywood megastar and Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan expressed his immense gratitude towards the key administrators of the game for helping turn the long-cherished dream into reality. Khan clearly acknowledged the institutional support that facilitated the ambitious transatlantic project, offering special appreciation to BCCI secretary Jay Shah and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Shah Rukh Khan said in his Instagram post, “What started as a dream has turned into a reality today.”

“A place that is built not only for sports but also for entertainment and families and memories that last forever.

“Special thanks to Jaibhai who has been so kind during this journey @JayShah220988, and to @ICC and Sanjog Gupta for being so supportive. This is for LA, for cricket fans around the world and for the Knight Riders family. Believe in the Purple and Gold.”

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Built to specific international dimensions, the stadium features eight natural turf wickets, six massive 120-foot floodlight towers for night broadcasts and a massive main concourse engineered by removing over 32,000 metric tonnes of soil.

Speaking at the launch, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore underlined that the facility serves as a definitive statement of intent for the future of the sport in the United States. The venue is set to host a blockbuster week of MLC matches from July 1 to July 5, establishing Southern California as a major cricket hub ahead of the sport’s inclusion in the LA28 Olympic Games.

While the results on the field will be up and down, with the home team suffering a tough six-wicket defeat against a disciplined Washington Freedom unit in the opening encounter, the structural foundation laid by the franchise promises long-term dividends.

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Mark Chapman (Photo by @WSHFreedom on X)

Washington Freedom produced a brilliant all-round performance to beat Los Angeles Knight Riders by six wickets and move up to fourth from bottom in the Major League Cricket 2026 points table. Their bowlers and fielders sealed the win by restricting LAKR to just 108 runs in 17.5 overs on a sluggish surface.After electing to bat, Knight Riders struggled to build momentum. Colin Munro Scored 25 runs, while Matthew Tromp scored 21 runs. rovman powell Contributed to the battle of 30. However, Washington’s disciplined bowling attack continued to take wickets at regular intervals. -Saurabh Netrawalkar And Mitchell Owen took three wickets each, while Ben Dwarshuis and Ian Holland took two wickets each. Washington’s fast fielding and excellent catching also played a key role in dismantling the LAKR batting line-up.Chasing a modest target of 109, Washington suffered two early setbacks as Sunil Narine dismissed Mitchell Owen and Andries Ghouse to give the Knight Riders hope of a comeback. However, Captain steven smith He remained calm even under pressure and found the ideal partner in Mark Chapman.The pair made a vital partnership of 62 runs and took the game away from LAKR. Chapman played an aggressive innings of 34 runs in 30 balls before getting out. andre russellBut by then Washington was firmly in control. Smith chased the target brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 40 off 44 balls and leading his team to victory with almost three overs to spare.The comprehensive win not only boosted Washington Freedom’s net run rate but also took them into the top four of the standings. Despite Narine’s impressive spell of 2 for 25, the Knight Riders were unable to defend their low score as Washington secured a comfortable win.

The United States kept their World Cup dream alive with a thrilling 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, securing a place in the round of 16 despite playing the final leg with 10 men. Folarin Balogun gave the co-hosts the lead before being sent off, but Malik Tillman put the result beyond doubt with a spectacular free-kick as the Americans mustered their courage to see the game out.

The win sends the Americans to the Round of 16, where Belgium awaits in Seattle on July 6, and keeps alive hopes of equaling or bettering their memorable quarterfinal performance in 2002.

USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, FIFA World Cup: Highlights

The United States earned its first World Cup knockout win since 2002, but it was not going to be easy after Balogun, who broke the deadlock just before halftime, was shown a straight red card in the 64th minute.

Matt Freese made three saves to record his second clean sheet of the tournament as the home visitors held the co-hosts over the line.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were playing in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time and made a great start. Following the early corner, Frij was forced to make back-to-back saves from Ermedin Demirovic and Kerim Alajbegovic as the visitors threatened to take the lead.

The Americans gradually joined the competition and began to gain possession. Christian Pulisic thought he had broken the deadlock in the 78th minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Earlier, the hosts finally eased their pressure in first-half stoppage time. Tarik Muharemovic’s ball into the defensive mix-up headed into Balogun’s path, and the striker reacted quickly, stopped, turned on his left foot and calmly slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs for his third goal of the tournament.

Balogun almost doubled the advantage later when he crashed Sergino Dest’s pass against the crossbar.

The game changed in the 64th minute when Balogun was sent off after a challenge on Muharremovic. Referee Raphael Clowes initially allowed the game to continue, but was called to the pitchside monitor, where he changed the decision to a straight red card after seeing the defender being caught above the ankle by Balogun’s studs.

With just over 25 minutes remaining, Bosnia and Herzegovina sensed an opportunity and committed to pushing more players forward. The United States were forced to penetrate deep into their own half, but defended with discipline, limiting the visitors to few clear openings despite the numerical disadvantage.

Bosnian captain Edin Dzeko’s evening ended early in the second half when the 40-year-old limped off the field with a leg injury. Asmir Bajraktarević, who was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and made one appearance for the United States in 2024 before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, came up against his former national team.

All the nervousness inside the stadium disappeared when Tillman produced the decisive moment in the 82nd minute. After Stjepan Radeljic was booked for fouling Dest just outside the area, Tillman doubled the lead and sealed the result by firing a superb free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.

Pochettino named the same starting eleven that defeated Paraguay 4–1 in the opening match, with Pulisic retaining his place after recovering from the calf injury that had ruled him out against Australia and limited him to a substitute appearance against Turkey in the Group D final.

The United States will now face Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals, although they will be without Balogun, whose suspension is the only disappointment on an otherwise memorable night for the co-hosts.

FIFA World Cup | fifa world cup schedule | fifa world cup points table | football news

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England vs India 1st T20 match abandoned due to rain (Image: BCCI)

India’s opening T20 match against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street was abandoned without a single ball being bowled in the second innings as the outfield was unfit for play due to persistent rain.Winning the toss, India chose to bat first and recovered from a poor start to post a competitive score of 189/7 in the allotted 20 overs thanks to an explosive half-century from Abhishek Sharma and a captaincy innings from Shreyas Iyer. However, the final say was the weather as England could not start chasing the target of 190 runs due to continuous rain.India’s innings got off to a bad start as Saqib Mahmood struck early to dismiss Sanju Samson, while Ishan Kishan was run out due to a mix-up, leaving the visitors struggling at 6/2.With India under pressure, Abhishek Sharma launched a breathtaking counterattack. The left-handed batsman shattered England’s fast bowlers with a fearless display of strokeplay and completed his half-century in just 20 balls. Additionally, he also became the fastest batsman from a full member country to complete 100 sixes in T20 Internationals.

Partnership for Abhishek and Shreyas

Abhishek and Iyer added 82 runs for the third wicket to take control of the innings. The opener was eventually dismissed after scoring a brilliant 59 off 24 balls, which included six fours and four sixes, before being dismissed LBW by Sam Curran.After Abhishek was out, captain Shreyas Iyer took the responsibility in the middle overs. Combining calculated aggression with sensible strike rotation, the right-handed batsman scored 68 runs from 47 balls, which included six fours and a six. During his innings, Iyer also crossed the 5,000 international runs mark and became the latest Indian batsman to achieve the feat.Although Saqib Mahmood dismissed Iyer and returned with impressive figures of 3/33, India got valuable runs late through Shivam Dubey. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 42 off just 21 balls, hitting three sixes and two fours to take the visitors to 189/7.

rain spoiled the game

England never got the opportunity to start their reply. Heavy rain fell immediately after the innings break and continued throughout the evening, leaving the ground staff unable to prepare the playing surface before the cut-off time. As a result, the match was officially abandoned without a single ball being bowled in England’s innings, leaving both teams to settle for no result.Brief Score: India 189/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 68, Abhishek Sharma 59, Shivam Dubey 42*; Saqib Mahmood 3/33).

England vs India, 1st T20I: Match abandoned due to rain in Durham. India (189/7 in 20 overs). Shreyas (68), Abhishek (59).

highlight | Achievement:

Despite impressive innings from Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, the opening T20 match between India and England at the Riverside Ground in Durham on Wednesday was abandoned without a single ball being bowled in England’s chase as rain took the final call.

The washout also means Shreyas Iyer is still looking for his first win as India’s T20I captain. Having started his tenure with a 0-2 series defeat to Lorcan Tucker’s Ireland, the captain would have hoped to start the England series with a win before the weather intervened.

When invited to bat, India made a competitive score of 189 runs for 7 wickets, in which Abhishek scored 59 runs in 24 balls and Iyer played an inning of 68 runs. Shivam Dubey’s late cameo provided the finishing touches, while Saqib Mahmood was England’s standout bowler, taking three wickets.

Abhishek, Iyer Power India

Abhishek continued his fine form with a breathtaking attack, changing gears brilliantly in the powerplay. The left-handed batsman attacked Saqib Mahmood in the fourth over and turned the momentum of the match firmly in India’s favor by hitting two sky-high sixes and a four in the 21-run over.

During his explosive innings he also became Fastest batsman to reach 100 sixes in T20 InternationalBroke the record of West Indies opener Evin Lewis.

Meanwhile, Iyer played a captain’s innings, cleverly rotating the strike before accelerating in the middle overs to keep the England bowlers under constant pressure.

Dubey then provided the finishing touch with some clean hitting in the death overs, however Mahmood and the experienced Adil Rashid pulled things back with disciplined spells and prevented India from crossing the 200-run mark.

rain is the last word

England never got a chance to chase the target as continuous rain continued in Durham. The umpires waited until the local cut-off time of 9 pm for a possible five-over contest, with England’s revised DLS target set at 64. The target will be 74 in six overs, 85 in seven overs and 94 in eight overs.

However, the weather showed no signs of relenting and the players eventually came out to shake hands as the match was officially abandoned.

England were also hurt when Phil Salt injured his shoulder while fielding, although the hosts later confirmed it was an external blow and the opening batsman was fit to bat.

With an unfavorable start to the series, both teams will now turn their attention to the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester on July 4, with four matches still left to determine the winner.

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Varun Chakraborty (Getty Images)

India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening T20I of the five-match series against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. The visitors have made one notable change from the squad that toured Ireland, with Varun Chakravarthy returning after recovering from a leg injury. Meanwhile, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi will have to wait for his international debut as India have picked an experienced playing XI comprising three specialist spinners.Speaking after the toss, Iyer said the team has moved on from the disappointing Ireland series and is eager to make a fresh start.Shreyas Iyer (India captain): “We will bat first. This is a great opportunity for us. This is my second series as a captain, I am very excited.” We got what we wanted and yesterday there was a practice session for conditioning. Ireland series is history. There is a good amount of grass on the wicket, so it is difficult to predict how it will play, but our intentions will be high. We are going with three spinners.”England captain Harry Brook admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first but expressed confidence in his team’s balanced lineup.Harry Brook (England captain): “We would have bowled first, but we are happy with the way things have gone. It looks like a good wicket. The mood in the camp is really good and we are excited to start the series. We have a lot of experienced players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Sam Curran who I can always depend on.”England have rested Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue after being involved in the recent Trent Bridge Test, paving the way for Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood to feature in the opening matches of the series.

playing eleven

England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethel, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Verma, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakraborty.

Serena Williams’ much-anticipated return to the All England Club has been plunged into uncertainty after a late injury scare. 44 year old tennis icon Suffered a heart-breaking defeat in three sets (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) over Australia’s rising star Maya Joyce in the first round of singles, but the bigger concern for fans in SW19 is her physical fitness for the remainder of the tournament.

The great American, who fought a grueling two hours and 22 minutes on center court, struggled with her movement in the latter stages of the match. The alarm bells then rang even louder Williams ignored her mandatory post-match press conferenceWhich led to immediate speculation about her status and the feasibility of her scheduled wild card appearance in the women’s doubles with her sister Venus.

However, his camp has moved quickly to clarify the situation, confirming the knee problem but leaving the door open for a Thursday appearance.

Williams’ agent Jill Smoller said, “Serena twisted her right knee at the end of the first set and so the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams released her from media obligations.”

“She walked off the site that night without assistance and is doing everything she can to get ready for her doubles match this weekend.”

The Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon doubles title together six times, were given a wild card entry, bringing back memories of the tournament. They are set to face the unseeded pair of Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

For Serena, the injury is a cruel blow after showing immense courage to push the joint into the deciding set. While her trademark power and fierce competitive spirit were on full display, the physical impact of the high-intensity return to grass was evident.

Wimbledon medical staff will continue to monitor the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion for the next 24 hours. Given their great flexibility, tennis fans are hopeful that the iconic brother-sister duo will get their moment under the British sun.

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Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir (Ex-BCCI)

captain of india Shreyas Iyer He has insisted that he is ready to accept the challenges of leading the national T20I team, adding that he always believed that this opportunity would come after consistent performances for both his IPL franchise and the country. In place of which Iyer was appointed as the new T20I captain of India. Suryakumar YadavHis tenure got off to a tough start as India suffered a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland in Belfast. However, ahead of the five-match T20I series against England, the captain is focusing on learning from the experience while also creating a new identity for the team. “To be honest, it’s not strange. I was expecting it at some point. I have performed brilliantly in the previous IPL tournaments whenever I have represented the country.” So, it was no surprise to me. But, at the same time, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from all the people who have been a part of the T20 World Cup-winning team, the team management, the support staff and some of the individuals who have played,” Iyer told BCCI.TV. The 31-year-old admitted that captaining India was the fulfillment of a childhood dream and described the responsibility as one of the proudest moments of his career. He said, “As a child, you always dreamed of playing for the Indian team. Now, you have got the opportunity to lead the Indian team. I think this is the icing on the cake. It means the world.” Reflecting on the journey that led him to the leadership role, Iyer credited the support system around him while acknowledging the hard work behind his rise. “It’s definitely a result of the hard work you’ve put in and the support you’ve received from fans, family and friends. It’s hard to put feelings into words.” Iyer also outlined the aggressive brand of cricket he wants his team to play, saying he hopes to develop a fearless mentality that will put opponents under pressure the moment India step on the field. “I just love being a threat to opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless approach when I get on the field. I want my guys to be united around that mentality where opponents are a little intimidated by our personality and presence on the field. When I come out on the field, it’s like war for me. I want to win every match and that’s the mentality I want to bring to everyone. He said, “Continuous, ruthless and tenacious. No pressure, but at the same time, it’s going to be challenging. I just want to accept the challenge. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure.” Speaking about the head coach Gautam GambhirWhile delivering the message to the team, Iyer revealed that the team is treating this phase as the beginning of a new chapter despite India’s recent T20 World Cup win. “Gauthi Bhai had mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts completely where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.” The captain also reflected on India’s disappointing tour of Ireland and admitted that the results did not live up to expectations, but stressed that the series imparted valuable lessons, especially for players experiencing English and Irish conditions for the first time. “Definitely not the start we wanted, but there was a lot to learn coming into new conditions. Most of the players are playing for the first time in England and Ireland as well, so it’s a learning opportunity for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where everyone starts supporting each other and trusting each other again.” India’s batting struggled during the Ireland series, with the top order failing to provide solid starts in any of the matches. However, the bowling attack showed encouraging signs, especially through debutant Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. With England posing a tough challenge, Iyer will now look to register his first series win as India’s T20I captain while implementing a fearless and relentless brand of cricket that he believes can take the team forward.

Ishan Kishan has become the world’s top-ranked T20I batsman for the first time, ending teammate Abhishek Sharma’s year-long stay at the pinnacle of the ICC men’s rankings. Following India’s 2-0 T20I series win over Ireland in Belfast, the India opening batsman moved up to No. 1 after the latest rankings update. Kishan reached career-high rating, surpassing Abhishek, with a difference of only seven rating points between the two Indian batsmen.

Kishan was one of the standouts for India in the tournament, scoring 317 runs at a strike rate of almost 200. His match-winning innings against Pakistan in Colombo earned him the Player of the Match award and laid the foundation for his rise to the top of the rankings. He has now become the fourth Indian male batsman to achieve the No. 1 position in T20Is, joining Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma.

Abhishek’s stay at the top lasted for almost a year before Kishan moved on in the latest update. Only seven rating points separate the two, which underlines how well matched the pair are.

The rankings also reflect Ireland’s encouraging performance in their historic series win over India. Lorcan Tucker has moved up four places to joint 77th among T20I batsmen, while Ross Adair has moved up six places to 84th after making valuable contributions with the bat.

Left-arm fast bowler Matthew Humphreys reached a career-best 25th position among T20I bowlers after taking four wickets in two matches. India’s all-rounder Shivam Dubey also progressed three places to seventh, while Ireland’s Gareth Delaney and Harry Tector moved up to 24th and 38th respectively.

There were changes at the top of the Test rankings as well. Australia’s Travis Head became the world No. 1 Test batsman for the first time after England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root were defeated in a quiet Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Brook slipped to second place and Root to third place.

New Zealand’s victory provided significant benefits to many of their batsmen. Rachin Ravindra moved up to seventh, Daryl Mitchell moved up to 11th, Devon Conway jumped 14 places to joint 15th and Tom Latham moved up to joint 31st.

India also topped the Test bowling rankings through Jasprit Bumrah, who moved ahead of New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry.

England captain Ben Stokes has moved up to third place in the rankings for Test all-rounders after closing his international career.

West Indies fast bowlers Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach were also rewarded after their match-winning performances against Sri Lanka in Antigua. Joseph moved up to joint 14th in the bowling rankings, while Roach moved up to 17th.

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Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav (BCCI photo)

New Delhi: Team India under new T20I captain Shreyas IyerLooking to bounce back from the disappointing tour of Ireland, they will begin the next leg of their United Kingdom tour with a five-match T20I series against England.India had entered the two-match T20 series against Ireland as favorites but suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat. This was Iyer’s first assignment as T20I captain, and now he will look to turn things around when India take on England in the opening match at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.Reflecting on the Ireland series, Iyer admitted that the team did not get the start they wanted, but believes there are a lot of lessons to take forward.“Definitely not the start we wanted, but there is a lot to learn coming into new conditions, most of the players are playing in England and Ireland for the first time, so it is a learning opportunity for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where everyone starts supporting and trusting each other and that will only be possible if we play more and more matches,” Iyer said on BCCI.TV.

‘He wants to have a fearless approach’

Currently the England series is going on, in such a situation Iyer wants his team to play fearless cricket and keep the opposition team under pressure.“I just love to be a threat to the opponents. I want to have an aggressive, fearless approach when I step out on the field. I want my troops to rally around that mentality where the opponents are a little bit intimidated by our personality, by our presence on the field. And I want every single person on the team to think about that because when I step on the field it’s like a war for me. I want to win every match and that’s the mentality I bring to every person who represents the country. I want to bring in. And want us to challenge the opponents also,” Iyer said.The 31-year-old also said that despite India’s success in the last T20 World Cup, the team is starting a new journey.He said, “I think Gauti bhai had mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts completely where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.”

On the advice of Rohit and Surya

Iyer also told about the support he received Rohit Sharma and former T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.Iyer was replaced as India’s T20I captain after Suryakumar led the team to another T20 World Cup title. However, a decline in batting form and the long-term plans of the selectors resulted in a change in leadership.“Conversing with Rohit Sharma, it feels like you are conversing with your brother. He is someone who has helped me in my domestic career as well. So it has always been easy to interact with him,” Iyer said.“And Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) has the same character again. I have played a lot of domestic cricket with him and just before coming here he gave me an insight into how the management will be, how the players will be in this certain situation.” So yes, definitely good conversations and a lot to learn at the same time,” he said.

Iyer’s heartfelt tribute on Doctor’s Day

Iyer also paid tribute to the doctors who helped him recover from the serious injury he suffered during the 2025 Australia tour in Sydney. The injury ruptured his spleen and caused internal damage, which required serious medical care.On Doctors Day, the India captain thanked the medical team that helped him make a comeback to cricket.Iyer said, “An injury can make you realize how quickly life can change. I am extremely grateful to the doctors and medical teams who helped me regain health, strength and return to the sport I love.”He said, “They stood by me during one of the most challenging phases of my life. Dedicating my second birthday to health professionals is my tribute to those who made my comeback possible.”