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

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

Eight points from six games has seen the Scorchers rise to second place in the league standings, the Renegades, meanwhile, have found it tough to gain any momentum with four points from five games leaving them in seventh and with a lot of catching up to do. 

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 26 between the Scorchers and the Renegades. 

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

Despite some early wobble, three straight wins on the bounce has seen the Scorchers catapult into second place in the points table. A win against the Renegades will see them leapfrog the Hobart Hurricanes on net run rate with both teams level on ten points after seven games. 

It has been a complete team effort in the batting department with everyone in the top five getting past the 150-runs mark for the season. Ironically, the Scorchers are the only team to achieve such a feat this season. 

All-rounders Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly lead the 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 Mitchell Marsh has backed his century with a stubborn 37-run knock in a tight affair against the Adelaide Strikers will give them a huge boost. 

Despite lacking enough wicket-taking threat, their bowling attack has done wonderfully in recent fixtures. Joel Paris has been the pick of the bunch with ten wickets, however, the likes of Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie and Brody Couch have come up trumps in the last couple of weeks. 

Their opponents, the Melbourne Renegades are under immense pressure after a slow start to their campaign, managing just two wins and three losses so far. Although they find themselves second from last, their recent victory over the 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, however, they need to produce a much better showing to thwart the Scorchers’ winning streak.  

In the bowling department, Gurinder Sandhu has been the pick of the bowlers, claiming 10 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 very interested. 

Looking ahead to this fixture, both Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades come off the back of convincing wins in their most recent outings. The Scorchers, though, seem to carry stronger momentum following three comprehensive wins in succession. Their batting order has clicked into gear, and the side will be confident ahead of this fixture, more so because they’re competing at their home ground again.

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