OAKLAND, Calif. (Diya TV) – Cricket will take center stage Thursday night at the historic Oakland Coliseum. The city will host the first major professional match on the West Coast, marking a key milestone for Major League Cricket (MLC) as it grows across the U.S.
The San Francisco Unicorns, runners-up in the 2024 season, will face the Washington Freedom in the opening game of MLC’s third season. The match starts at 6 p.m. and represents a breakthrough for both the league and Oakland. This is the first time the city has hosted top-tier professional cricket.
The 57-year-old Coliseum, which was once home to Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics and the NFL’s Raiders, will now welcome cricket fans. Nine matches are scheduled in Oakland between June 12 and June 18. MLC officials estimate this stretch could bring $3 million into the local economy.
“We’re going to be playing in Oakland this year, and we’re excited about it,” said Venky Harinarayan, co-owner of the Unicorns, in an interview with the Times of India. “We’re still figuring out where we’ll end up permanently. We might stay in Oakland long term if all goes well.”
The Coliseum will host three home games for the Unicorns. The venue can hold up to 12,000 cricket fans. To prepare the field, drop-in pitches were shipped from New York. Organizers aimed to honor the stadium’s sports legacy while making it suitable for cricket. The Coliseum famously appeared in Moneyball, the 2011 film about the A’s unlikely rise.
For Oakland, this event opens a new chapter in global sports.
“Now we’re starting to bring that global energy and focus to Oakland like never before,” said Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee during a press conference earlier this year.
Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan noted cricket’s popularity in the community. “If you walk through any park in Fremont on a weekend, you’ll see the fields filled. Families gather and people have their homemade wickets in the grass,” he said.
MLC CEO Johnny Grave, who joined after leading Cricket West Indies for seven years, has helped manage the Coliseum transition and supported the West Coast expansion.
“The Coliseum is a great place for Major League Cricket,” Grave said in a March statement. “We’re excited to see top international players at such an iconic venue. Oakland is an important step for cricket’s global growth. It shows our commitment to U.S. fans and growing the game here.”
Six teams will compete in the 2025 season: the San Francisco Unicorns, Washington Freedom, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Seattle Orcas, New York, and Texas Super Kings. MLC launched in 2023 and quickly became the top professional cricket league in the U.S. The league attracts talent from Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and beyond.
After the Oakland leg, matches will move to Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas from June 20 to June 29. The regular season and playoffs will conclude at Broward County Stadium in Florida from July 1 to July 13.
Local leaders hope cricket’s rise will bring lasting benefits to the Bay Area.
“The Oakland Coliseum has always been a venue for sports and entertainment,” said Interim Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Now we’re proud to add cricket to that legacy. This move shows Oakland’s diversity and our love of sports. We’re ready to support cricket’s future here.”
