The opening match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2026-27 will take place in Chennai, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12.
The opening match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2026-27 will take place in Chennai, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12. The announcement was made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, forming the centrepiece of a wider initiative to build a relationship between the two countries known as ‘G’day Namaste’. It will be the first time ever that a Big Bash League match will take place in another country, and BBL organisers said that they expect a huge crowd for the encounter.
“We know there are incredibly passionate cricket fans all over India, but particularly in Chennai. Everyone we’ve spoken to has been really optimistic that we should expect a good crowd,” Alistair Dobson, CA’s executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, told reporters.
“What has become clear to us as we’ve built this event out is just how popular the BBL already is in India. It’s got nothing on the IPL, obviously, but the BBL is well-liked and respected. We can’t wait to see all the fans turn out, albeit I suspect there’ll be a fair chunk of yellow in the crowd,” he added.
The match will be a ‘home’ game for the Renegades, and both teams will be given extra time to return to Australia ahead of their next fixtures. The complete BBL schedule will be announced next week, according to media reports. Multiple BBL teams were interested in the fixture, but some teams did not formally apply in order to avoid a ‘hectic’ schedule.
