Baseball looking to make an India pitch again
Mumbai: Along the E66 highway that connects Dubai with Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates stands a newly built baseball stadium. It caters to a sport popular in the United States and Japan, but largely alien in India. In November, though, the sporting oasis in the desert will be home to an Indian franchise set to compete in the inaugural season of Baseball United.
The competition is the first professional baseball league that will look to engage the Middle East and South Asia region. Though still in the nascent stage of planning, the competition is slated to feature four teams – the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons.
The tournament was founded on an idea presented by former Major League Baseball (MLB) winner Barry Larkin, who is considered one of the greatest players of his generation.
'He came to me and said there's an opportunity for us to take baseball outside of the US,' Baseball United CEO and chairman Kash Shaikh told HT. 'It was our simple hypothesis that if we could inspire just some of these cricket fans to fall in love with America's pastime of baseball, a sport that you still hit, run, catch, throw – the same fundamentals as cricket – then we could really grow something special.'
This is not the first time baseball has tried to make inroads in the Indian market. In 2008, Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh won a reality show called The Million Dollar Arm, and were signed up by MLB outfit Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shaikh asserted that Baseball United, though looking to find a foothold in India, is not competing with cricket. Instead, they hope to provide another avenue for budding cricket players.
'Those 11 places in the Indian national (cricket) team are the most coveted spots across the country,' Shaikh said. 'But just because you aren't able to make it, does not mean you don't have the talent. There's a lot of levels of cricket, we wanted to create another pathway, another opportunity for people who love cricket to learn baseball. There is so much passion for sport in India, particularly with bat and ball.'
At the moment, the organisers are still in search of potential owners of the four franchises, and Shaikh explained that they are also in talks with potential broadcast partners.
'We're just starting to explore selling the franchises now,' he said. 'A lot of folks from Hollywood and Bollywood have been reaching out to us about interest in the teams, particularly Mumbai.'
As for the players themselves, a major chunk will be former MLB draft picks. There are expected to best players from Sweden, Lithuania, and Cameroon, to name a few, coming in as well. Around 10% of the spots in the four teams are for 'prospects from India, Pakistan, (West Asia), areas that are learning the game.'
As it stands, Baseball United's first match of the season will be one that plays to the cricketing gallery – a clash between the Indian and Pakistani franchises. A first big splash in the Arabian desert.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
New AC temperature rule in India: What is it and why government wants to limit AC cooling between 20°C and 28°C
The Indian government is planning a new rule to control the temperature range at which air conditioners can run in the country. Announcing the new provision, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said 'A new provision is being implemented soon regarding air conditioning standards. The temperature standardisation for ACs will be set between 20°C to 28°C, which means we will not be able to cool below 20°C or heat above 28°C.' 'This is a first-of-its-kind experiment, aiming to standardize temperature settings,' Khattar added. What the new AC rule means Currently, AC temperature goes up to 18°C (16°C in a few) with a maximum of up to 30°C. Once implemented, the new AC temperature provision will restrict this temperature range to 20°C – 28°C. This means users will not be able to set their AC temperature below 20°C and above 30°C. The new rules aim to standardize how air conditioners are used across the country and reduce the high electricity use caused by setting the temperature too low. The government says that it will keep track of how the new rules are followed. However, exact detail of how this will be enforced, especially in different sectors, has not been specified yet. Why new rule for AC temperature During the event, Khattar said that the new AC temperature provision is part of a larger effort to save electricity and manage India's rising energy demand. One of the main reasons behind the move is to save electricity, especially in summer when power use is at its peak. Many people set their ACs to very low temperatures, even as low as 16°C, which puts a lot of pressure on the power supply. Pankaj Agarwal, a senior official from the power and housing ministry told Bloomberg that air conditioners use about 50 gigawatts of electricity — that's around 20% of the country's total power demand. 'Studies show that every 1°C increase in AC temperature cuts energy use by 6%. That means if everyone sets their ACs just 1 degree higher, we can save about 3 gigawatts of power during peak times,' Agarwal said. As quoted in Bloomberg report, stricter energy rules for air conditioners could help save up to 60 gigawatts of peak electricity demand by 2035, according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley. This would also avoid the need to spend ₹7.5 trillion (around $88 billion) on building new power plants and upgrading the electricity grid. Smart AC Hacks to Cut Your Electricity Bill & Make It Last Longer! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
18 minutes ago
- Mint
Maharashtra: Country, imported premium liquor prices to soar as cabinet approves excise duty hike on IMFL
On Tuesday, the Maharashtra cabinet approved several revenue-enhancing measures in the excise department, including an increase in liquor duty. The state excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) soared by more than 50%, leading to a significant rise in retail prices by over 60%. It has also hiked the duty on country liquor and imported premium liquor, which will increase their retail prices by 14% and over 25% respectively, HT reported. However, the excise duty on beer and wine has not risen as the retail price of beer, which has a lesser percentage of alcohol in comparison to hard liquor, is among the highest in the country, officials said. When it comes to wine, the state follows a policy of promotion, as Maharashtra is home to a large portion of the country's wineries and a significant number of grape-supplying farmers are based in the region, the report stated. The government anticipates that the substantial hike will boost its revenue to ₹ 57,000 crore, an increase of ₹ 14,000 crore from the ₹ 43,620 crore collected in FY 2024-25. It expects this to contribute 10% of the projected ₹ 5.60 lakh crore in total revenue receipts for the 2025-26 financial year. In an effort to generate revenue to support the strained exchequer and fund populist schemes like Ladki Bahin, along with benefits for farmers and other communities, the Mahayuti government formed a committee in January, led by then Additional Chief Secretary Valsa Nair, to suggest ways to boost liquor revenue. The committee submitted its report in April, and the state cabinet approved its recommendations on Tuesday, the report added. Following the committee's recommendations, IMFL will now be subject to an excise duty that is 4.5 times the manufacturing cost, up from the current rate of three times. An IMFL official told HT, 'This will vary based on the manufacturing price but could lead to a huge hike of over 60% in retail prices.' Currently priced between ₹ 120 and ₹ 150 for 180 ml, the cost of IMFL will now rise to a minimum of ₹ 205. Premium brands, which currently range from ₹ 210 to ₹ 330 for 180 ml, will now start at ₹ 360. Meanwhile, the price of a 180-ml bottle of country liquor has increased from ₹ 70 to ₹ 80. The government has introduced a new category called Maharashtra-made liquor (MML), which will be exempt from the duty hike. Made from grains, MML will be priced at a minimum of ₹ 148 for 180 ml, a rate deliberately set within the current IMFL price range to help MML compete with and capture a share of the IMFL market. The excise duty hike on IMFL brands is the first in 14 years. Officials noted that, despite the increase, the duty remains lower than in neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. Another official pointed out that the duty increase on country liquor was kept minimal to prevent a shift towards illicit alcohol, as a sharper rise in price could drive such consumption. "It is also because the last hike was done in 2022,' he stated. "Maharashtra was the most highly taxed state in the country in terms of this industry. The new decision is likely to make the situation worse. High prices in a particular state leads to the smuggling of alcohol from less taxed states or from neighbouring states. At the look of it, I think this decision is far from ground reality and not a good decision,' Indian Express quoted Pramod Krishna, former Director General, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage, as saying.
Hans India
26 minutes ago
- Hans India
India set to become world's third largest economy, says Joshi
Bengaluru: Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi, while addressing the media on the occasion of completion of the 11 years of achievements of the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said on Tuesday that India has now emerged as the world's fourth largest economic power. 'I have confidence that India would become world's third largest economy,' he stressed. Speaking at a press conference organised by the State BJP Office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Monday, Union Minister Joshi said that it took nearly 30 to 40 years for the country to become a one trillion-dollar economy. It took about 62 to 63 years to become a two trillion-dollar economy, he added. 'As a result of stability, we have achieved more than $4 trillion from $2 trillion,' he said. He stressed that a stable government has enabled efficient governance and administration, leading to achievements in all sectors. 'The reform of the defence system is also a crucial aspect. He recalled and mocked that previously, India had a government that couldn't even decide on the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Former Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony had officially said in Parliament that if basic infrastructure was developed in border areas, enemy countries would use it.' 'We have made efficient decisions from border infrastructure to the CDS,' Union Minister Joshi said. 'As a result of the CDS, 'Operation Sindoor' and subsequent operations enabled us to give a strong response to Pakistan's behaviour.' The Minister added that through the coordination of the three defence forces, it has been possible to identify nine terrorism-related locations and launch missile attacks on those very spots. Previously, all defence products were imported, the Union Minister said. 'Now, we are producing 5,000 products under 'Made in India' and 'Make in India'. For the first time in this country, we have exported arms and other products worth Rs 25,000 crore,' he added. The proportion of extreme poverty has decreased from 21 to 5 per cent, he said. He clarified that 26 crore people have come out of extreme poverty and these are not statistics from Indian agencies but from the World Bank. Union Minister Joshi said that as a result of efficient leadership and a stable government, decisive and bold steps have been taken regarding the country's defence system. He cited the recent 'Operation Sindoor' as an example. 'Terrorist activities are almost zero in areas of the country other than border regions. While such incidents are occurring in Kashmir, he said that a very strong and clear response has been given to them. Terrorists had decided to cripple India's administration through a 'Red Corridor' from Pashupati in Nepal to Tirupati.' 'Today, Naxalism in the country has decreased by 70 per cent. Our Union Home Minister has announced that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from this country by March 2026,' he said. 'Wherever Indians faced difficulties in the world, we have protected them. We succeeded in bringing back our people during the Russia-Ukraine war and the Afghanistan crisis,' he added. 'During the Covid-19 period, there were talks of millions of deaths in India and the country collapsing.' 'But, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as the fastest-growing country in the post-Covid days; it continues to do so even now,' he said. He told that India is the only country that has administered more than 240 crore vaccine doses to 140 crore people; additionally, India has also been able to export vaccines, the Union Minister said. He expressed confidence that India will soon emerge as the world's third largest economic power. 'In 2024, digital transactions increased to Rs 24 lakh crore, with the UPI accounting for 83 per cent of this,' he added. Union Minister Joshi said that former Finance Ministers had ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of digitalisation of the country. He attributed this achievement to Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile linkage. He also added that Rs 44 lakh crore are being directly transferred to beneficiaries' accounts through the direct benefit transfer scheme. He provided information on achievements made in various other sectors as well. Former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Govind Karajol, MP P.C. Mohan, Rajya Sabha member Jaggesh, Chief Whip of the Legislative Assembly Doddanagouda H. Patil, State General Secretary Nandish Reddy, State BJP Vice President Raju Gowda Nayak, Bengaluru South District President and MLA C.K. Ramamurthy, and Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda were also present.
