BBL opener in Chennai sparks ticket frenzy: Details here
What's the story
The upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season opener in Chennai has witnessed an overwhelming response, with the first batch of tickets selling out within just half an hour. The highly anticipated match between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers is scheduled for December 12 at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium. Because of the high demand, Cricket Australia has announced it will release more tickets in the coming weeks.
Anticipated ratings
Record ratings expected for BBL season opener
According to news.com.au, Cricket Australia is expecting the BBL season opener in Chennai to be the highest-rated Australian sports match of all time.
Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland has expressed his excitement about playing in front of a packed Indian stadium.
He said, "From what I've seen in the IPL, Indian fans will be pretty wild and probably an atmosphere I haven't experienced."
Pre-match preparations
Renegades to focus on spin training ahead of match
It is understood that Melbourne Renegades will arrive in less than a week before the match. This will give them time to bond as a team and adapt to local conditions.
Sutherland revealed that they would be focusing more on spin training for this encounter, given India's reputation for spin-friendly pitches.
"It's notoriously spin-friendly conditions (in India), so I am sure we will do a bit of work before we come away on playing spin," he said.
Information
BBL privatization
The upcoming match also gives the BBL and the Renegades a unique chance to test their popularity in cricket's biggest market. Earlier this year, Cricket Victoria had put Melbourne Renegades on the market as part of the first phase of BBL privatization.