Out-of-favour pace-bowling Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was spotted in a new role. On Saturday, October 24, Shardul was spotted with a baseball bat in hand in Mumbai, instead of a cricket bat. He was in a baseball jersey, hitting the ball.

Popular American sport baseball is gaining pace across Asia, including in India. With the aim of exploring the Indian sports market, Major League Baseball (MLB) has left its mark in the nation. It was previously officially announced that MLB's new initiative, MLBx: Mumbai, will take place at Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri Sports Complex.

Shardul Thakur plays baseball in Mumbai

As per the announcement, some of the well-known faces of Indian cricket grabbed the baseball bat. Shardul Thakur is one of the Indian cricket stars who are part of MLB's promotional event. Former T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jitesh Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, and Radha Yadav are the Indian cricket stars who are associated with the MLB event.

Watch Shardul playing baseball:

Lord Shardul Thakur representing the Chicago Cubs at MLBx Mumbai! ⚾️ https://t.co/VSTvk8JBHL

— Gaurav Gupta (@toi_gauravG) October 24, 2026

Why is MLB in Mumbai?

Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as an MLB ambassador. As cricket is massively popular in India, the MLB officials aim to capture the Indian market with the help of the Indian superstars.

In an official media release, on behalf of MLB, Jeremiah Yolkut, their senior vice president of global operations and events, explained that they chose Mumbai for MLBx’s first event in India because of the city's passion for sports and vibrant entertainment culture.

"India’s passion for sport, combined with its vibrant entertainment culture, makes Mumbai the perfect setting for MLBx’s first event in the country. By bringing together some of India’s biggest cricket stars with MLB stars and elite softball athletes, we’re creating a unique opportunity for fans to experience baseball in a new and exciting way," said Jeremiah Yolkut, MLB’s senior vice president of global operations and events.

Shardul Thakur missed Ranji Trophy 2026-27 matches because of an injury

Meanwhile, Shardul is currently out of any kind of competitive cricket matches because of an injury. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced its squads for the initial few matches of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season without attaching the experienced all-rounder to the main squad.

MCA informed that due to an injury, they were forced to keep Shardul out of the selection. The cricket association will take its next call on Shardul Thakur ahead of their third Ranji Trophy fixture.

According to media reports, Shardul picked up an injury to his right middle finger from being struck by a ball driven by Ayush Mhatre. The 35-year-old last featured during the Duleep Trophy 2026 match, which was held between August 22–26, 2026, where he scored only 10 runs in the first innings.

For the India National Cricket Team, Shardul played his last Test match against England at Manchester in July 2025. So far, he has played 13 Tests, 47 ODIs, and 25 T20 International matches for the Men in Blue brigade.