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- Mumbai will play Karachi on opening night and Abu Dhabi takes on Dubai in the Showcase finale
DUBAI: Baseball United, the sport’s first-ever professional league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, has announced the official dates and times of its Dubai Showcase games.
The Showcase will take place from Friday, Nov. 10 to Sunday, Nov. 12, in Dubai. All games will be played at Dubai International Stadium — a cricket pitch that Baseball United will transform into a diamond.
The first professional baseball game in the region will feature the world-renowned, international rivalry — India versus Pakistan. The Mumbai Cobras will serve as the home team, hosting the Karachi Monarchs on Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. This historic matchup brings together the most populous metropolitan areas of the region’s two largest nations.
“Mumbai versus Karachi might be the most epic way to open any sports league,” said Kash Shaikh, Baseball United president, CEO, and majority owner. “When teams from those two nations compete in cricket, nearly 500 million people watch. If we can inspire even a small fraction of that viewership, it will be an incredible stage for baseball in the region. And from an attendance standpoint, we are looking forward to welcoming baseball fans from all walks of life — and from dozens of different countries — to enjoy this classic showdown.”
Indians and Pakistanis make up roughly half the population of the UAE. In addition, according to the league’s research, there are 800,000 avid baseball fans of more than a dozen nationalities living in the UAE. Fifty percent of those fans live in Dubai.
The remainder of the Showcase schedule will include a doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 11, beginning with the Karachi Monarchs hosting the Abu Dhabi Falcons at 2 p.m. The second game will feature the Mumbai Cobras versus the home team, the Dubai Wolves. The evening game will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday’s games will represent a historic milestone for the UAE, with both its professional baseball franchises debuting on the same day.
The Showcase finale will feature a new inter-Emirates sports rivalry, with the Dubai Wolves taking on the Abu Dhabi Falcons at 6 p.m.
Baseball United will also host a concert each night of the Showcase following the evening games. The concerts will begin roughly 45 minutes after the end of the game. Fans who have tickets to the game will be allowed to attend that evening’s concert at no extra charge. Performers will be announced next month.
The Showcase will include a Fan Fest outside the stadium that is free to the public. Brands, partners and vendors will be on hand providing baseball-related experiences and activities, as well as various other sports and music activations. Food and drinks will also be available.
Opening and closing ceremonies are also planned, with details to be shared soon.
“We are working hard to bring baseball, music and entertainment together in a fun, family-friendly environment,” said Shaikh. “There will be a price point for everyone, with great seats available across the transformed ‘ballpark.’ And everyone who attends will become a part of history, as we bring professional baseball here to the Middle East and South Asia for the first time. Tickets will go on sale soon, and I really encourage all baseball and sports fans to join us for a great experience.”