From T20 World Cup to MLBx glory: SKY trades sixes for home runs with the Yankees in Mumbai!
Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav has not played for India in any format since 8 March this year. That was the day he led India to a famous second successive T20 World Cup win at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
But at 8:03 pm on Saturday, 24 October, when Yadav stepped out in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) gear for his newly adopted team, the New York Yankees , there was an instant connection with his fans yet again.
This version of SKY, as he is popularly known, was our first look at him in a new avatar at the MLBx event in Mumbai. The event was MLB’s big debut on the Indian stage, and if the night was anything to go by, it was a major hit.
Suryakumar Yadav was without doubt the hero of the night. He drew attention wherever he went. A huge roar each time he struck the ball in the two-minute hit-out was a clear indication of his star power.
The other Indian male cricket stars like Deepak Chahar, Jitesh Sharma and Shardul Thakur also drew cheers, but the loudest was for the World Cup-winning skipper. There was also Radha Yadav and Kanika Ahuja who caught everyone’s attention, including England’s 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, who was in Mumbai to watch the event and is now an American resident.
The cricket stars were joined by MLB legends Nick Swisher, Adrián González, Jonny Gomes and Jake Arrieta, alongside professional softball athletes Jordan Woolery and Rachel Garcia, bringing together talent from across sports for a fast-paced, high-energy showdown.
The final featured Yadav’s New York Yankees and Jitesh Sharma’s Los Angeles Dodgers. One thing that was interesting was the way they conducted the toss in the finale with rock, paper, scissors being used to decide who will take first strike!
Another interesting aspect was that in the two-minute hit out for each batter, there could be a tag in. For all cricket lovers, this was MLB’s version of Impact Sub! So Radha Yadav and a couple of others decided to tag in one of their team mates to complete their at bat. The other thing to look out for was that while the MLB stars were able to strike straight, the cricket stars did not always strike long and hard. It is the difference in the way the two sports where cricket provides for some deft touches also which maybe led to this difference in approach.
Back to Yadav and he did field at long-off. Like they say in Gen Z terms, IYKYK, yes memories of the Barbados T20 World Cup 2024 final effort by Yadav in taking a historic catch came to mind.
There was a crowd cheering each time the ball was struck, which was good to see. The organisers had also made an effort to get school kids to come over and cheer on a Saturday evening. For a busy suburb like Andheri, the Saturday evening was bustling more than any other day of the week. All to watch the likes of SKY & Co along with some MLB stars.
The organisers made sure they caught the attention of the crowd with some performances to popular numbers and captured local culture with some dances. The medley of getting performers from various states was an idea which appealed to the audience.
In the end, Yadav proved good for his side as he led the New York Yankees to a title in the inaugural edition of MLBx : Mumbai. Yadav later sent out a message to whoever listened that he’s won two titles as captain; he did not want to miss out on a third. Yadav left with a message to one and all: if not cricket, baseball is something that could catch his fancy in years to come, much like the performance by Badshah to round off the night.
Who knows, in years to come MLB could have a soopla shot that catches the Yankees' fancy.
Scores at MLBxSemi-final 1: Chicago Cubs 44-45 LA Dodgers
Semi-final 2: NY Yankees 59-40 Boston Red Sox
FINAL: NY Yankees 78-59 LA Dodgers
MLBx: Format ExplainedNew York Yankees: Nick Swisher (MLB Legend), Suryakumar Yadav, Rachel Garcia Boston Red Sox: Jonny Gomes, Deepak Chahar, Kanika Ahuja ChIcago Cubs: Jake Arrieta, Shardul Thakur, Radha Yadav Los Ángeles Dodgers: Adrian Gonzalez, Jitesh Sharma, Jordan Woolery
But at 8:03 pm on Saturday, 24 October, when Yadav stepped out in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) gear for his newly adopted team, the New York Yankees , there was an instant connection with his fans yet again.
How MLB plans on making Indians lifelong fans of baseball
The song, Baazigar, a remixed version of the original, played loudly at Mumbai’s Andheri Sports Complex , usually India’s football hub in the city. A temporarily erected stage featured Yadav stepping out with a huge roar to welcome him, and then him flexing his muscles, ready to show the crowd what he can do with his new bat! This version of SKY, as he is popularly known, was our first look at him in a new avatar at the MLBx event in Mumbai. The event was MLB’s big debut on the Indian stage, and if the night was anything to go by, it was a major hit.
Suryakumar Yadav was without doubt the hero of the night. He drew attention wherever he went. A huge roar each time he struck the ball in the two-minute hit-out was a clear indication of his star power.
The other Indian male cricket stars like Deepak Chahar, Jitesh Sharma and Shardul Thakur also drew cheers, but the loudest was for the World Cup-winning skipper. There was also Radha Yadav and Kanika Ahuja who caught everyone’s attention, including England’s 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, who was in Mumbai to watch the event and is now an American resident.
The final featured Yadav’s New York Yankees and Jitesh Sharma’s Los Angeles Dodgers. One thing that was interesting was the way they conducted the toss in the finale with rock, paper, scissors being used to decide who will take first strike!
Another interesting aspect was that in the two-minute hit out for each batter, there could be a tag in. For all cricket lovers, this was MLB’s version of Impact Sub! So Radha Yadav and a couple of others decided to tag in one of their team mates to complete their at bat. The other thing to look out for was that while the MLB stars were able to strike straight, the cricket stars did not always strike long and hard. It is the difference in the way the two sports where cricket provides for some deft touches also which maybe led to this difference in approach.
Back to Yadav and he did field at long-off. Like they say in Gen Z terms, IYKYK, yes memories of the Barbados T20 World Cup 2024 final effort by Yadav in taking a historic catch came to mind.
The organisers made sure they caught the attention of the crowd with some performances to popular numbers and captured local culture with some dances. The medley of getting performers from various states was an idea which appealed to the audience.
In the end, Yadav proved good for his side as he led the New York Yankees to a title in the inaugural edition of MLBx : Mumbai. Yadav later sent out a message to whoever listened that he’s won two titles as captain; he did not want to miss out on a third. Yadav left with a message to one and all: if not cricket, baseball is something that could catch his fancy in years to come, much like the performance by Badshah to round off the night.
Who knows, in years to come MLB could have a soopla shot that catches the Yankees' fancy.
Scores at MLBxSemi-final 1: Chicago Cubs 44-45 LA Dodgers
Semi-final 2: NY Yankees 59-40 Boston Red Sox
FINAL: NY Yankees 78-59 LA Dodgers
MLBx: Format Explained
- Three-Inning Game: Each game has three innings, with every player getting two minutes to bat.
- Three Fielders: While one team bats from a specially designed stage, the opposing team positions three players in the outfield.
- Scoring Points: Batting teams earn points by hitting home runs, while fielding teams earn points by taking catches.
- Bonus Points: Batters can earn additional points by hitting the ball through a special target above the centre-field fence.
- Hot Streak: Each batter can activate a five-swing Hot Streak, during which both batting and fielding points are doubled.
- Player Substitution: After 60 seconds of batting, a player can bring in a teammate to complete the remaining minute. The team with the highest points wins.
- Tournament Format: Four teams compete in two semi-finals and a final, with each game lasting approximately 30 minutes. This will be MLB's first-ever large-scale live event in India and the country's first MLBx event.
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