BBL 2025/26 | Match 27: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers | Preview and Predictions

The Melbourne Stars will take on the Sydney Sixers in Match 27 of the 2025/26 KFC Big Bash League season at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 8, 2026. 

The Stars have lost some momentum after a four-game winning streak to kick off their campaign, but they remain third in the table with eight points from six games. The Sixers, meanwhile, sit one rung lower on the ladder with six points from as many games, albeit with momentum on their side.

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 27 of BBL|15. 

BBL|15 Match 27: Stars vs Sixers | 13:45 IST, January 8, 2026

Four wins in a row marked a dream start to the season for the Melbourne Stars, but two recent losses have dented spirits. Despite the dip, though, they sit comfortably in third place and will view this fixture as a chance to push closer towards the top-two positions again.

In the batting department, Sam Harper has been the standout performer. The 29-year-old has already accumulated 251 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 161. His consistency has provided early stability and allowed others to play around him with freedom.

Skipper Marcus Stoinis and top-order batters Campbell Kellaway and Joe Clarke have provided additional support. However, the rest of the batters are yet to contribute meaningfully to their cause. 

In the bowling department, veteran fast bowler Peter Siddle and Pakistani speedster Haris Rauf lead the wicket-takers’ column with 12 wickets each in six games. Marcus Stoinis and Tom Curran aren’t far behind, sharing 17 wickets between them. Spinners Mitchell Swepson and Glenn Maxwell, despite picking up just six wickets between them, have provided the team with control, restricting easy runs. 

Looking at their opponents, the Sydney Sixers, momentum has finally swung their way in this BBL campaign, with back-to-back wins on the trot carrying them into fourth spot on the table. The Sixers will now be aiming to stretch that run further and make a serious bid for the play-off spots. 

In the batting department, Josh Philippe continues to be the Sixers’ standout performer with 196 runs across six outings at a strike rate of 153. Openers Daniel Hughes and Babar Azam have chipped in with crucial contributions sporadically, but the Sixers have lacked a stable run-getter in the middle order. 

In their last game against the Brisbane Heat, it was Joel Davis’s unbeaten 35 off 26 and a spell of 2/19 in four overs that bailed out the Sixers in a low-scoring thriller. However, moving forward, they’ll need their batters to start contributing. 

The introduction of Joel Davis and Sean Abbott has reinvigorated the Sixers’ bowling line-up. After struggling to contain most batting units, recent matches have seen the Sixers’ bowling attack work together as a unit and restrict both the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat to modest totals. All-rounder Jack Edwards still leads the wicket-takers’ column with 11 scalps, while there’s been a steady supply of support from the likes of Ben Dwarshuis, Abbott, Hayden Kerr, and Davis in recent matches. 

In terms of weather forecast and pitch report, conditions in Melbourne will be hot and humid, though rain won’t be a factor. Historically, the opening phase at the MCG always tests batters, though things settle down once the shine wears off. Besides, chasing totals has worked out well here, with each of the three BBL|15 games played here having been won by the side batting second. So, expect the toss-winning captain to bowl first.

Looking ahead to this fixture, the Melbourne Stars will be looking to arrest their two-game losing streak as they welcome the Sydney Sixers, who are coming into this contest after registering back-to-back victories. That said, the Stars can draw confidence from their season as a whole, as well as from the fact that they’ve already defeated the Sixers this season.

Given how closely matched both teams look, either of them could win this one. That said, we’re backing the Stars to come through here, considering their overall form on top of the home advantage.

Fantasy XI: Sam Harper, Daniel Hughes, Campbell Kellaway, Josh Philippe, Marcus Stoinis (c), Jack Edwards (vc), Glenn Maxwell, Joel Davis, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Haris Rauf, Peter Siddle 

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne 
Winners Prediction: Melbourne Stars