BBL 2025/26 | Match 26: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades | Preview and Predictions

The Perth Scorchers will take on the Melbourne Renegades in Match 26 of the 2025/26 KFC Big Bash League season at Optus Stadium on January 7, 2026. 

Eight points from six games have brought the Scorchers to second place in the league standings. The Renegades, meanwhile, have found it tough to gain any momentum and have four points from five games, lying seventh in the table and with a lot of catching up to do. 

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 26 of BBL|15. 

BBL|15 Match 26: Scorchers vs Renegades | 13:45 IST, January 7, 2026

Despite some early wobbles, three straight wins on the bounce have brought the Scorchers back into play-off contention. A win against the Renegades will see them leapfrog the Hobart Hurricanes on net run rate. 

It has been a complete team effort in the batting department, with everyone in the top five having reached the 150-run mark for the season. Incidentally, the Scorchers are the only team to have achieved this feat this season. 

All-rounders Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly lead the Scorchers’ run-scoring chart with 176 and 174 runs, respectively, with the likes of Finn Allen, Mitchell Marsh, and skipper Ashton Turner close behind. Moreover, the fact that Marsh backed his recent century with a stubborn 37-run knock in a tight affair against the Adelaide Strikers will give the team a huge boost. 

Despite lacking enough wicket-taking threat, the Scorchers’ bowling attack has done wonderfully in recent fixtures. Joel Paris has been the pick of the bunch with ten wickets, while the likes of Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, and Brody Couch have also come up trumps recently. 

Their opponents, the Melbourne Renegades, are under immense pressure after a slow start to the season, having managed just two wins and three losses. Although they find themselves second from last, their recent victory over the Melbourne Stars could provide the momentum they need to go on a winning run.

Tim Seifert leads the run-scoring chart for the Renegades with 176 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 172. Josh Brown at the other end has been equally impressive, accumulating 168 runs in five games at a strike rate of 148.

Oliver Peake and Mohammad Rizwan have shown glimpses of form, though they need to produce a much better showing to thwart the Scorchers’ winning streak.  

With the ball, Gurinder Sandhu has been the pick of the Renegades bowlers, claiming ten wickets in five matches at an economy of 9.88. Jason Behrendorff and Will Sutherland have combined for nine wickets, but the rest of the attack has struggled to maintain consistent pressure.

In terms of weather forecast and pitch report, conditions are expected to be clear and warm throughout. The wickets here in Perth provide real assistance to the faster bowlers under the lights, while variable bounce later on brings spinners into play. The Scorchers were able to defend 153 successfully last time out, so anything above 160 will keep the team batting first in the driving seat. 

Looking ahead to this fixture, both the Scorchers and the Renegades come into this game on the back of convincing wins in their respective last outings. The Scorchers, though, seem to carry stronger momentum following three comprehensive wins in succession. Their batting order has clicked into gear, and they’ll be confident here as well, even more so given the home advantage.

Fantasy XI: Mitchell Marsh, Josh Brown, Cooper Connolly (vc), Oliver Peake, Aaron Hardie (c), Will Sutherland, Ashton Turner, Joel Paris, Gurinder Sandhu, Brody Couch, Jason Behrendorff 

Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Winners Prediction: Perth Scorchers