Chennai to host BBL|16 season opener

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that the 2026/27 Big Bash League season will kick off at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, on December 12, 2026, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on the reigning champions, the Perth Scorchers.

The announcement was made during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia, when he, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The match will get underway at 14:40 IST, with JioStar set to broadcast the match in India.

Cricket Australia hopes to strengthen its bond with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) through this initiative and hopes to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the future, should the league ever have to move outside India, something it has done in the past.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, commented:

“Our sport has such an authentic connection in India. This game is also part of a much bigger initiative across both our governments and shows that cricket is a connector for both our countries, and that both the Australian and Indian governments see that and want to be part of it. We’re hugely excited by the opportunity and we expect the match will be the most-watched game in Australian domestic league history for any sport. We’re grateful for the support of the Australian government and the Centre for Australia-India Relations in helping bring this historic match to life. Every league or competition has their own unique strengths. We think the BBL has its own unique flavour that we want to bring and hopefully people seeing it up close in their own backyard only strengthens that interest in the competition.”

TJ Srinivasaraj, President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), added:

“The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association is privileged to partner with Cricket Australia in this landmark occasion of staging the first-ever Big Bash League match in India. This historic event reflects the spirit of collaboration between our organisations, and underscores our shared commitment to delivering cricket at the highest international standards.”