Major League Cricket was played at the iconic Oakland Coliseum (Photo by Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for MLC)
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A T20 international cricket match between powerhouses India and Australia at the iconic Oakland Coliseum? It might not seem so far-fetched, with international cricket hoped to be played at a venue that once was home to the Raiders and the Athletics.
Nine matches of the recent Major League Cricket season were played at the Coliseum, the home ground of the San Francisco Unicorns in a one-season arrangement.
There were crowds of around 6000 for some of the games as the well-heeled American T20 franchise competition ventured to the west coast for the first time.
The Unicorns, a franchise backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalists, are poised to host matches next season at the famous venue located near Interstate 880 that boasts stunning views of the Oakland hills.
“We definitely want to continue playing there,” Unicorns co-owner Anand Rajaraman told me in a phone interview, adding that a final decision was expected by year’s end.
“We would like to play more games there next season. We’re confident it will happen, just need to finalize some things.”
If the Coliseum does become a regular ground for cricket, grandiose plans are envisioned. “My dream would be to see Australia play India at the Coliseum, that would be quite incredible,” Rajaraman said.
“Of course, the U.S. team as well. Purely speculation, maybe we can do a tri-series between Australia, USA and India.”
There were nine MLC matches played in Oakland (Photo by Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for MLC)
Shaun Roy
There should naturally be plenty of interest for international teams to play at such a renowned stadium in the world’s biggest sports market. As I reported recently, the West Indies – the only Full Member in the Americas – are hoping to expand their footprint in America beyond hosting games in Florida.
While the Unicorns already have a link with Australian cricket through a high-performance partnership with Victoria.
“I know Australia has some interest in coming and playing if the Coliseum is an option in the future,” Rajaraman said. “It’ll be great to have some marquee series and we’ll be talking internally to see if this is possible.
“The Coliseum can seat up to 60,000 people, it’s now the biggest stadium for cricket in the U.S. in terms of seating capacity. There are a lot of exciting possibilities.”
The Unicorns became just the second side in the six-team MLC after the Texas Super Kings to secure a home ground after the first two seasons were played entirely in Dallas and Morrisville, North Carolina.
Amid increased investment in MLC, there is a goal for the U.S. to boast 10 international cricket grounds by 2030. As I have reported in recent months, proposed home grounds for MLC franchises Seattle Orcas and Washington Freedom are starting to get closer.
“Being able to play home games for the first time meant there was so much more awareness in the Bay Area about the Unicorns and MLC,” Rajaraman said, with the Unicorns falling away in the second-half of the season before being knocked out by eventual champions MI New York in the playoffs.
“It was also very interesting to see a lot of people turn out to watch cricket who are not from cricket playing countries. It was the first time watching cricket for them and they were out to support a team playing in Oakland, having lost their major teams like the Raiders and the A’s.
“So they were happy to see a sport come into their much-loved arena and it was an amazing experience for everyone who attended.”
The Unicons played home games for the first time (Photo by Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for MLC)
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As Unicorns look to build on the momentum, MLC franchise owners are monitoring an intriguing development many miles away with privatization of Australia’s Big Bash League being seriously contemplated.
As I’ve reported recently, owners of the Washington and Seattle franchises have expressed interest in the BBL situation with minority stakes potentially up for grabs.
“Once they (Cricket Australia) figure it out, we will evaluate it,” Rajaraman said. “One of our biggest focus areas is on technology and AI as it relates to cricket, so we may rather focus on that space rather than owning a lot of teams.
“But we have a close relationship with Cricket Victoria and we’ll definitely give it a hard look if they go down that route.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tristanlavalette/2025/09/15/major-league-cricket-set-to-continue-at-iconic-oakland-coliseum-amid-india-australia-dreams/
