MLB Joins Hands With Shikhar Dhawan To Find The Biggest Hitter In The Country
Major League Baseball and Disney Star have collaborated for the second consecutive year to produce a reality sports series showcasing the growth of baseball in India. ‘HotShots’ answers the often-asked question about the two most popular bat-and-ball sports in the world: can some of the best amateur cricketers in India hit home runs as far as they can hit sixes? ‘HotShots’ tests the hitting prowess of 10 of the country’s best amateur batters with the winner taking home the top prize of Rs 15 lakh.
The four-episode series features appearances by Shikhar Dhawan, former Indian Cricketer, Adam Jones, a 5-time All-Star slugger who spent most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, and Star Sports’ commentator, Jatin Sapru. Together, Shikhar and Adam coach the 10 contestants, all with compelling back stories of finding interest in baseball, to launch the longest hot shots of their lives to win the prize in a thrilling final round.
‘HotShots’ follows last year’s ‘Indian Baseball Dreams’, which also aired on Disney Star’s platforms and told the inspiring real-life story of Arjun Nimmala, the first-ever first-generation Indian American to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, in 2023. Disney Star has been MLB’s broadcast partner in India since 2020 and carries the World Series and additional rounds of the MLB Postseason.
The series will launch on October 25th, 2024, with the first of four episodes airing on Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports 2 at 11 AM IST, followed by repeat airings throughout the day. The next three episodes will be released one per day through October 28th. All four episodes are available for streaming on Disney+ HotStar starting on October 25th.
HotShots Trailer:
YT: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jFV-qszbZXc
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mlb.india/reel/DA8si9BA2Jy/
The release of the series will accompany the beginning of the 120th World Series scheduled for October 26th morning IST. The Los Angeles Dodgers with Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani are currently facing the New York Mets with their star shortstop Francisco Lindor for the right to represent the National League in the World Series. In the American League, the New York Yankees and their star slugger Aaron Judge are competing against the Cleveland Guardians and their All-Star third baseman José Ramírez. Disney Star will broadcast all World Series games both live and re-run at 8:00AM IST on Star Sports Select 2. Similar to 2023, these broadcasts are produced specifically for the Indian audience and will feature local commentators Ayush Sharma and Manish Batavia.
On taking part in ‘HotShots’, Shikhar Dhawan commented, “I’m very, very excited! There’s a Major League Baseball competition taking place where both cricketers and baseball players are participating. This is the first of its kind competition here in India.”
“There’s talent here for sure and we’re only scratching the surface. I’m rooting for baseball to get bigger in India when the fans here see how much their batting skills in cricket translate to my sport. I can’t wait to see moonshots that future Indian baseball players will hit.” Adam Jones commented on baseball in India.