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Cricket Australia has officially released the complete schedule for the 16th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL), with the tournament set to run from December 12, 2026, to January 26, 2027. The upcoming season promises several firsts and fan-favourite traditions, including the league’s first-ever match in India, the return of Christmas Eve cricket, more fixtures in Canberra, and a grand final scheduled on Australia Day. Featuring 44 matches across the league stage and finals, BBL|16 is expected to deliver another action-packed Australian summer.
BBL|16 season highlights and key dates
The 2026-27 season will begin with a historic clash between Melbourne Renegades and defending champions Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on December 12, making it the first-ever Big Bash League match to be staged outside Australia. The domestic leg of the tournament will officially commence three days later when Brisbane Heat host Sydney Sixers at the Gabba.
Fans will be treated to uninterrupted cricket throughout the festive period, with matches scheduled every evening except Christmas Day. The return of the Christmas Eve fixture sees Melbourne Renegades hosting Hobart Hurricanes under lights at Junction Oval for the first time in four years. Traditional marquee fixtures on Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day also remain part of the calendar, while the regular season concludes with a weekend featuring double-headers on January 16 and 17.
New venues, Melbourne expansion and Canberra boost
BBL|16 introduces several venue changes designed to improve scheduling and fan engagement. Melbourne Renegades will begin a new chapter after ending their long association with Marvel Stadium, splitting home matches between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval. As a result, Melbourne will host nine regular-season matches, up from seven last summer, including both Melbourne Derby clashes at the MCG.
Canberra will enjoy its busiest Big Bash season outside the COVID-19 bubble years, with Manuka Oval staging three fixtures. Sydney Thunder will host Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars there, while Sydney Sixers will also play a home game against Adelaide Strikers at the venue when the SCG is unavailable because of the Australia-New Zealand Test match.
Several scheduling improvements have also been introduced, including fewer interstate travel demands, no team playing three matches in five days, and an additional break between the Challenger and Final to reduce travel fatigue during the knockout phase.
Teams, venues and blockbuster rivalries
All eight franchises—Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder—will once again battle across Australia’s leading cricket venues, including the MCG, SCG, Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Perth Stadium, Bellerive Oval, Junction Oval and Manuka Oval.
The schedule retains several of the tournament’s biggest rivalries, including the Sydney Smash between the Sixers and Thunder, the Melbourne Derby between the Stars and Renegades, as well as festive double-headers on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Adelaide Strikers will also continue their annual New Year’s Eve tradition at Adelaide Oval.
Structure for the playoffs and finals
The finals structure remains unchanged, with the top four teams at the end of the league stage progressing to the knockout rounds.
- Qualifier: 1st vs 2nd (Winner advances directly to the Final)
- Knockout: 3rd vs 4th (Loser eliminated)
- Challenger: Loser of Qualifier vs Winner of Knockout
- Final: January 26, 2027 (Reserve day available)
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BBL|16 fixtures & match time (AEDT)
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (Australian Time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12 (Sat) | Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:10 PM AEST |
| Dec 15 (Tue) | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers | The Gabba | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Dec 16 (Wed) | Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 17 (Thu) | Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 18 (Fri) | Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 19 (Sat) | Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 20 (Sun) | Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Dec 21 (Mon) | Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 22 (Tue) | Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades | SCG, Sydney | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 23 (Wed) | Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Dec 24 (Thu) | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 26 (Sat) | Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat | SCG, Sydney | 6:05 PM AEDT |
| Dec 26 (Sat) | Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars | Perth Stadium | 6:15 PM AWST |
| Dec 27 (Sun) | Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 28 (Mon) | Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers | The Gabba | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Dec 29 (Tue) | Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Dec 30 (Wed) | Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Dec 31 (Thu) | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Jan 1 (Fri) | Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers | MCG, Melbourne | 4:00 PM AEDT |
| Jan 1 (Fri) | Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes | The Gabba | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Jan 2 (Sat) | Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 3 (Sun) | Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 4 (Mon) | Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades | MCG, Melbourne | 6:05 PM AEDT |
| Jan 4 (Mon) | Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat | Perth Stadium | 6:15 PM AWST |
| Jan 5 (Tue) | Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 6 (Wed) | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Renegades | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Jan 7 (Thu) | Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 8 (Fri) | Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers | The Gabba | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Jan 9 (Sat) | Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers | Aurora Stadium, Launceston | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 10 (Sun) | Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers | SCG, Sydney | 2:10 PM AEDT |
| Jan 10 (Sun) | Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 11 (Mon) | Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 12 (Tue) | Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Jan 13 (Wed) | Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Jan 14 (Thu) | Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 15 (Fri) | Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder | SCG, Sydney | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 16 (Sat) | Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers | Adelaide Oval | 3:30 PM ACDT |
| Jan 16 (Sat) | Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Jan 17 (Sun) | Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 1:40 PM AEDT |
| Jan 17 (Sun) | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder | The Gabba | 7:15 PM AEST |
| Jan 19 (Tue) | Qualifier | TBA | 2:00 PM |
| Jan 20 (Wed) | Knockout | TBA | 2:00 PM |
| Jan 23 (Sat) | Challenger | TBA | 2:00 PM |
| Jan 26 (Tue) | Final | TBA | 2:00 PM |
*TBA – To be announced
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com
