Los Angeles Knight Riders have handed owner Shah Rukh Khan his first Major League Cricket trophy, holding their nerve through a tightly fought 2026 final to seal the franchise's maiden championship.
Shah Rukh Khan's Message For The Champions
The actor, who co-owns the franchise, took to social media soon after the result to congratulate the squad. He singled out Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Andre Russell along with the rest of the playing group for what he called a dominant run through the tournament, and used the moment to talk up how far the sport has come in the United States. "You all said we are here to win not just participate....and u showed it," he wrote, adding that the team's stadium and the championship together marked a big step for cricket in America.
An Old Kolkata War Cry, Repurposed For California
Shah Rukh Khan closed his message with the Knight Riders' long-running Bengali slogan, "Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo," a phrase the franchise has used for years across its cricket ventures to underline that its teams are built to win rather than merely show up. By invoking it for the Los Angeles side, he tied the American franchise's breakthrough to the same competitive identity associated with the group's other cricket teams, framing the title as proof that the approach travels.
A New Home Ground Just Weeks Old
The title arrives only a short while after Shah Rukh Khan formally inaugurated the team's own stadium in California, the Knight Riders Cricket Ground, which now serves as LAKR's home venue. The ground sits at the Fairplex in Pomona, within Los Angeles County, and was officially opened in July 2026 by Shah Rukh Khan himself. For now, the facility runs on temporary seating and can hold around 5,000 spectators, but the franchise has laid out plans to expand it well beyond that, targeting a permanent capacity of more than 20,000 seats. Coming so soon after that stadium opening, the championship win gives the venue an early marquee moment and adds weight to Shah Rukh Khan's argument that cricket in America is building real infrastructure, not just enthusiasm.
