India, April 22 -- Along the E66 highway that connects Dubai with Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates stands a newly built baseball stadium. It caters to a sport popular in the United States and Japan, but largely alien in India. In November, though, the sporting oasis in the desert will be home to an Indian franchise set to compete in the inaugural season of Baseball United.

The competition is the first professional baseball league that will look to engage the Middle East and South Asia region. Though still in the nascent stage of planning, the competition is slated to feature four teams - the Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons.

The tournament was founded on an idea presented by former Major League Baseb...