BBL 2026-27: Chennai to host Renegades vs Scorchers season opener
What's the story
The 2026-27 Big Bash League (BBL) season will kick off with a match between Melbourne Renegades and defending champions Perth Scorchers in Chennai on December 12. This will be the first time the tournament is being held outside Australia. The match at MA Chidambaram Stadium, home of IPL's Chennai Super Kings, is scheduled to start at 2:40pm IST (8:10pm AEST).
Future prospects
Potential IPL match in Australia
Cricket Australia (CA) hopes this match could open doors for hosting an IPL game in the future. Alistair Dobson, CA's executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, said there has been interest from state governments and venues about bringing an IPL game to Australia. He added that, while it's not directly related to this event, they would be open to discussions when the time is right.
Government support
One-off deal
The BBL opener is a one-off deal, announced at the MCG in an event attended by Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Indian PM Narendra Modi. The fixture has been partly funded by a grant from the Centre of Australia-India Relations. CA stated they are looking for specific commercial opportunities around this event to ensure its success.
Travel plans
Preparations for teams in India
The Renegades and Scorchers teams will fly to India after the sixth round of Sheffield Shield matches on December 6. This gives players involved in that competition about four days to prepare on the ground in Chennai. Both teams will have a long gap before their second fixture on returning to Australia, with the full BBL schedule set to be announced next week.
Attendance goals
Star players expected to feature
CA is hoping for a sellout crowd at the 35,000-capacity MA Chidambaram Stadium. Ticket prices will be announced in the coming weeks. The full list of players taking part won't be known until squads are finalized later this year. However, Scorchers are likely to feature Australia T20I captain Mitchell Marsh and all-rounder Cooper Connolly. They could also include Josh Inglis and Jhye Richardson if they aren't on Test duty.