Major League Baseball is making renewed efforts to establish a stronger presence in India, a country where baseball remains a niche sport compared to cricket. On July 8, 2026, MLB announced a partnership with Indian cricket star Suryakumar Yadav, who will act as a league ambassador. Yadav, known as SKY, will take part in fan engagement activities during the MLB All-Star Game events in Philadelphia and beyond, aiming to attract Indian cricket fans and connect the two sports culturally. MLB also renewed its media rights deal with Indian outlet JioStar to broadcast selected games, including the World Series, across the populous nation.

This move represents a more grassroots, fan-centric approach compared to earlier attempts in the region. The 2014 film Million Dollar Arm highlighted MLB’s efforts to find baseball talent in India by scouting cricket players, which led to signings like Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel; however, neither player advanced far professionally. Recently, players of Indian descent such as Kumar Rocker and prospect Arjun Nimmala have made strides in the MLB system, indicating gradual growth of interest and talent with ties to the subcontinent.

MLB’s strategy now includes opening a New Delhi office in 2019 and collaborating with Rise Worldwide Limited, which manages Yadav, to develop baseball at a local level in India. Suryakumar Yadav’s massive social media following—20 million on Instagram and over 4 million on X—provides MLB with a significant platform to promote baseball content and events. The league hopes leveraging his star power will bridge the sports gap and encourage a fresh wave of baseball fans in the cricket-dominant market.

Additionally, MLB’s regional media presence will expand through the YES Network’s recent rights acquisition to broadcast Major League Cricket’s MI New York matches, signaling a shared platform between cricket and baseball in India and among Indian diaspora audiences. These layered initiatives reflect MLB’s broader vision to cultivate a sustainable baseball fanbase by tapping into existing sports communities and influential athletes like Yadav to increase awareness and engagement in one of the world’s largest potential markets.