Less than three months after the conclusion of Baseball United’s first season, Kash Shaikh announced he will step down as the league’s CEO on March 1.
As founding chairman and CEO, Shaikh led the organization from its conception to operating a full season as a professional baseball league with its own 6,500-seat ballpark in the United Arab Emirates in less than four years. The league operated the 2025 season with four teams, which played nine regular-season games each and culminated with a best-of-three championship series won by the Mid East Falcons.
On behalf of the entire Baseball United community around the world, we want to share a heartfelt “THANK YOU” to Kash Shaikh, Baseball United’s founding Chairman and CEO. As Kash’s chapter with Baseball United comes to a close, we are grateful for his passionate leadership, clear… pic.twitter.com/US6ucrUl17
— Baseball United (@BaseballUnited) February 18, 2026
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to carry Baseball United from dream to reality alongside so many dedicated and passionate people. Together, we created something from nothing, and that impact will be felt for years to come,” Shaikh said in a statement released by Baseball United. “I’m deeply grateful to all of our Baseball United fans, players, coaches, partners, investors, and team members who believed in this vision and helped bring it to life. Your names will be forever etched in history as the pioneers who brought professional baseball to Arabia.”
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Shaikh started Baseball United in 2022 and secured investment from multiple former Major League Baseball players, including Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Mariano Rivera. The league played a pair of all-star games at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in November 2023 before playing a full season in November and December of 2025.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Baseball United organization, I want to express our sincere appreciation to Kash for his service as Chairman and CEO,” Baseball United Co-Founder, Hall of Famer, and Board Member, Barry Larkin said in a release on Baseball United’s website. “Kash’s hard work and efforts played an important part in establishing Baseball United and bringing professional baseball to the region. We are grateful for the dedication Kash showed in helping to launch this worthy initiative. We wish Kash continued success in his future endeavors.”
In a thread of posts on the social media network X, Shaikh said he intends to move to Brenham, Texas, with his wife and son in the near future.
For me personally, life has profoundly changed over the last 18 months. The birth of my son. The loss of my father. And a season of reflection across both business and life.
I’ve been so focused on building that, at times, I’ve lost sight of what’s most important. When you get… pic.twitter.com/HheSI3tsAH— Kash Shaikh (@Kash_Shaikh) February 18, 2026
“For me personally, life has profoundly changed over the last 18 months. The birth of my son. The loss of my father. And a season of reflection across both business and life,” Shaikh said on X. “I’ve been so focused on building that, at times, I’ve lost sight of what’s most important. When you get consumed with creation – even if it’s good – you inadvertently pull yourself away from the people and moments that matter most. The bounty of passion, ambition, and achievement often collides with the boundaries of faith, family, and fitness. It’s such a hard line to navigate.”
According to Baseball United’s release announcing Shaikh’s departure, “Baseball United will continue operations as planned, with further updates regarding leadership and next steps expected in the coming weeks.”
Photo: Baseball United CEO Kash Shaikh addresses fans and players before a game at Baseball United Ballpark in the United Arab Emirates. (Photo courtesy of Baseball United)
