Indian cricketers try baseball at MLB event in Mumbai

T20 World Cup winning captain Suryakumar Yadav hit a home run at the MLBx event hosted by Major League Baseball India on Saturday at the Mumbai Football Arena of Andheri Complex.

The Teams And Legends

Six Indian players joined the event alongside MLB legends Nick Swisher and Adrian Gonzalez. The players were Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Deepak Chahar and Radha Yadav. The athletes split into four teams wearing colors of famous MLB franchises. Nick Swisher won the 2009 World Series with the New York Yankees and was an All-Star in 2010. Adrian Gonzalez is a five-time MLB All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.

Action On The Field

MLBx is a short 3-on-3 mixed baseball competition known as the T20 of baseball. Shardul Thakur hit three homers for the Chicago Cubs while Suryakumar Yadav hit multiple shots for the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees team led by Swisher won the MLBx Mumbai trophy.

Context

Major League Baseball brings promotional events to new regions to grow the sport outside its traditional markets. Events featuring local cricket stars help draw large crowds and media attention in countries like India where cricket is hugely popular.