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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 20 SPORTS May 1, 2026 Los Angeles Knight Riders And Cricmax Cricket Development Partnership Across America K night Riders Sports, owners of cricket franchises across four continents, announced April 27, 2026, it has partnered with CricMax Connect as the Official Cricket Development Partner of the Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR). The partnership of LAKR and CricMax Connect “will establish a national network of Knight Riders Cricket Academies to develop youth cricket across the United States,” the press release said. While over $300 million has already been invested in professional cricket infrastructure in the United States through Major League Cricket (MLC), momentum continues to build, the press release contended. Most recently, the Los Angeles Knight Riders and Fairplex broke ground on the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, Los Angeles, which will be Southern California’s first dedicated cricket venues and LAKR’s official home ground for the 2026 Major League Cricket, MLC, season. The venue is set to host seven matches, including LAKR’s first three home fixtures from July 1-5, 2026. “Along with these developments, it is equally impor- tant to build grassroots programs that create a feeder system for various leagues and encourage youngsters to take up the sport,” organizers said. According to Knight Riders Sports, the American audi- ence for cricket has grown “rapidly” and this latest part- nership combines Knight Riders Sports’ globally proven franchise model with CricMax Connect’s decade-long record in community cricket development, its established network of academies and township partnerships, and its exclusive role as the cricket partner of the PlayLA Olym- pic youth initiative. “This partnership further strengthens CricMax Con- nect’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,” organizers claimed. As part of their long-term vision for cricket in the Unit- ed 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 match- es this season, in a bid to make Los Angeles into a leading cricket destination in the United States while also sup- porting both professional competition and the growth of cricket at a grassroots level, the press release said. In an ambitious outreach, the two organizations plan to jointly build Knight Riders Cricket Academies nation- wide, 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 identifi- cation and scouting across the network, the press release 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,” Venky Mysore, CEO, Knight Riders Sports, is quoted saying. “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 Olym- pics,” 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 Ameri- can 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 already has 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, which, it says, makes it “one of the most versatile brands in T20 cricket globally. ” CricMax Connect, led by former USA Cricket CEO Vinay Bhimjani alongside BCCI-veteran coaching leader- ship, is the exclusive commercial cricket partner of the PlayLA initiative ahead of the LA28 Olympics. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:CRICMAX CricMax Announcement. Commerce Minister Goyal Waives IP Registration Fees For Sports Sector For 3 Years, Announces Special Drive I n a significant boost to India’s sports ecosystem, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday announced that all intellectual property registration fees, covering trademarks, copyrights, patents, designs, traditional knowledge, and geographical indication products will be waived for the sports sector for three years, effective immediately. The Commerce Ministry will issue a formal notification to this effect, he said. Goyal made the announcement at theWorld Intel- lectual Property Day celebrations organised by FICCI in association with DPIIT and CIPAM on April 28, 2026. “From today, as a special drive to promote sports, the fees will be zero,” the Minister said, adding that the scheme will be reviewed after three years. Details will be shared on the official website for anyone in the sports ecosystem wishing to participate. Beyond the fee waiver, Goyal announced a support scheme under which individuals with new ideas will be guided through the IP registration process. “We have a scheme by which we provide you the support to get it registered and make your journey easier to become a part of the IP ecosystem,” he said, urging students, artisans, and young innovators to act quickly. “Every new idea, please convert it into your IP asset very quickly, before somebody else does — or before somebody else does it internationally,” he said. Underlining the economic dimensions of sport, Goyal pointed to the massive valuations of global sporting franchises. Each English Premier League football club is today worth anywhere between USD 8-12 billion. By contrast, the IPL —watched by 500 to 600 million people — is currently valued at USD 1.5 billion. However, Goyal expressed confidence that within five to seven years, IPL would be competing with the English Premier League in terms of value, driven by India’s rising prosperity and growing sporting culture. The Minister also called for the creation of sports goods manufacturing clusters to promote Made-in-India products, and suggested that open gym equipment man- ufacturing be scaled up. He encouraged corporates to direct CSR spending towards sports, signalling a broader policy push to develop sports as an industry. Goyal also sounded a note of caution for sportspersons and social media influencers, warning against misleading advertising — particularly around nutrition and pro- tein supplements. “A lot of misleading and mischievous advertising has been happening,” he said, noting that celebrities and influencers have faced trouble due to inadequate disclosures. “Please always maintain caution so that it doesn’t cause you any difficulty later on,” he advised. -ANI PHOTO:ANI