Big Bash League 2026-27: Schedule, Teams and Live Updates
The Big Bash League 2026-27 (BBL|16) starts on 12 December 2026, with Melbourne Renegades facing defending champions Perth Scorchers in Chennai. The tournament features eight teams, 40 regular-season matches and four finals, ending on 26 January 2027.
Explore the BBL 2026-27 schedule, updated team squads and latest player signings.
Aneurin Donald Set to Join Perth Scorchers as Final Overseas Signing for BBL 2026-27
Perth Scorchers are reportedly set to sign England wicketkeeper-batter Aneurin…Eight New Zealand Players Sign for BBL 2026-27: Full List and Teams
Eight New Zealand cricketers have signed for the Big Bash…ACA Warns Player Involvement Is Not Guaranteed in a Privatised BBL
Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh has warned that…BBL Chennai Opener Tickets Go on Sale October 10 for Renegades vs Scorchers
Tickets for the historic BBL 16 opening match in Chennai…
What is the next BBL 2026-27 match?
The first match of BBL|16 is Melbourne Renegades versus Perth Scorchers at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, 12 December 2026. Play starts at 2:40 pm IST. The Renegades are the designated home team, while Perth begin the season as defending champions.
| Match detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers |
| Date | Saturday, 12 December 2026 |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India |
| Match number | BBL|16 Match 1 |
| Significance | First Big Bash League match staged outside Australia |
What time does the BBL Chennai match start?
| Time zone | Start time on 12 December 2026 |
|---|---|
| AEDT | 8:10 pm |
| ACDT | 7:40 pm |
| AWST | 5:10 pm |
| IST | 2:40 pm |
| PKT | 2:10 pm |
| GMT | 9:10 am |
The first BBL|16 match in Australia is Brisbane Heat versus Sydney Sixers at the Gabba on Tuesday, 15 December. It starts at 6:15 pm AEST in Brisbane, which is 7:15 pm AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne.
What are the main BBL 2026-27 schedule dates?
The BBL 2026-27 schedule runs for 46 days and includes six double-headers. The full fixture has 40 regular-season games followed by the Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final. These are the dates most fans will want to mark first.
| Date | BBL|16 fixture or stage |
|---|---|
| 12 December 2026 | Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers in Chennai; season opener |
| 15 December 2026 | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers at the Gabba; first match in Australia |
| 19 December 2026 | Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers at ENGIE Stadium; first Sydney Smash |
| 24 December 2026 | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes at Junction Oval; first Christmas Eve BBL match in four years |
| 26 December 2026 | Sixers vs Heat at the SCG, then Scorchers vs Stars at Optus Stadium; Boxing Day double-header |
| 31 December 2026 | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars at Adelaide Oval; New Year’s Eve match |
| 1 January 2027 | Renegades vs Sixers at the MCG, then Heat vs Hurricanes at the Gabba; New Year’s Day double-header |
| 4 January 2027 | Stars vs Renegades at the MCG and Scorchers vs Heat at Optus Stadium |
| 10 January 2027 | Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers at the SCG; BBL|15 finalists meet again |
| 15 January 2027 | Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder at the SCG; second Sydney Smash |
| 16 January 2027 | Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars at the MCG; second Melbourne derby |
| 17 January 2027 | Final two regular-season matches |
| 19 January 2027 | The Qualifier |
| 20 January 2027 | The Knockout |
| 23 January 2027 | The Challenger |
| 26 January 2027 | The BBL|16 Final |
See all 44 fixtures, team filters, venue filters and converted start times on the complete Big Bash League 2026-27 schedule. The match list is based on Cricket Australia’s official BBL|16 fixture.
BBL|16 at a glance
| Tournament detail | BBL 2026-27 information |
|---|---|
| Official season | Big Bash League 2026-27 |
| Edition | BBL|16, the 16th men’s season |
| Dates | 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Total matches | 44 |
| Regular-season matches | 40 |
| Matches per team | 10 |
| Regular season ends | 17 January 2027 |
| Finals | 4 matches from 19 to 26 January |
| Regular-season grounds | 11 across Australia and India |
| Defending champions | Perth Scorchers, six-time men’s champions |
| Organiser | Cricket Australia |
Latest BBL 2026-27 news and player signings
23 October 2026: Perth Scorchers have officially signed England wicketkeeper-batter Aneurin Donald on a one-year contract for BBL|16. Donald is available for the full tournament, including finals, and completes Perth’s overseas recruitment alongside Zak Crawley and Calvin Harrison.
The 29-year-old scored 489 runs at a strike rate of 230.66 in the 2026 T20 Blast. His arrival also gives Perth another wicketkeeping option alongside Joel Curtis.
Sydney Thunder have signed Will Salzmann on a one-year deal. The 22-year-old Australian pace-bowling allrounder returns to his Western Sydney club after a strong start to the domestic season. He recently scored 70 from 65 balls for New South Wales against Queensland in the One-Day Cup.
Salzmann joins a Thunder squad featuring new overseas fast bowlers Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, both of whom are available through the finals.
Recent BBL|16 signings at a glance
| Player | Team | Confirmed contract |
|---|---|---|
| Aneurin Donald | Perth Scorchers | One year, including finals |
| Will Salzmann | Sydney Thunder | One year |
| Jafer Chohan | Sydney Sixers | One year, overseas |
| Jimmy Peirson | Brisbane Heat | Re-signed for BBL16 |
| Trent Boult | Sydney Thunder | Full season, including finals |
| Rishad Hossain | Hobart Hurricanes | First eight matches |
Squad update: 119 confirmed primary players, 25 available positions and 20 overseas contracts.
Follow the latest BBL 2026-27 player signings and transfers.
Teams may use a designated batter and fielder
The designated player rule is optional and applies only to the men’s BBL. A team may name a designated batter before the bat flip. That player can bat but cannot field or bowl. The paired designated fielder can field or keep wicket but cannot bat or bowl. A team that does not use the option names a traditional playing XI.
Slow over-rates bring back full Powerplay restrictions
A BBL innings has an 84-minute countdown. If the bowling side has not completed 20 overs when the timer expires, full Powerplay fielding restrictions apply from the next ball for the rest of the innings. Only two fielders may then remain outside the restriction circle.
Which teams are playing in BBL|16?
Eight teams will compete in the Big Bash League 2026-27. Each club plays ten regular-season matches, including five designated home fixtures.
| Team | Home grounds | Latest squad update |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Strikers | Adelaide Oval | Ben Stokes and Mark Chapman signed |
| Brisbane Heat | The Gabba | Jimmy Peirson re-signs; Bevon Jacobs provides temporary cover |
| Hobart Hurricanes | Ninja Stadium, UTAS Stadium | Rishad Hossain returns alongside Adam Zampa |
| Melbourne Renegades | MCG, Junction Oval, Chennai | Jonny Bairstow, Michael Bracewell and Ben Manenti signed |
| Melbourne Stars | MCG, Junction Oval | Finn Allen and Jamie and Craig Overton signed |
| Perth Scorchers | Optus Stadium | Aneurin Donald completes three overseas signings |
| Sydney Sixers | SCG, Manuka Oval | Jafer Chohan returns; all three overseas positions filled |
| Sydney Thunder | ENGIE Stadium, Manuka Oval | Will Salzmann returns alongside Boult and Ferguson |
Perth Scorchers enter BBL|16 as six-time champions, while Melbourne Stars remain the only current men’s team without a Big Bash title.
Explore all BBL 2026-27 teams, captains and coaches.
Which BBL 2026-27 players are confirmed?
119 players are confirmed across the eight BBL 2026-27 primary squads as of 23 October, leaving 25 roster positions available.
Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers have the most complete squads with 17 players each. Perth Scorchers and Sydney Thunder have now joined Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers in filling all three overseas positions.
| BBL team | Confirmed | Vacancies | Overseas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Strikers | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| Brisbane Heat | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 17 | 1 | 2 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| Melbourne Stars | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| Perth Scorchers | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| Sydney Sixers | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| Sydney Thunder | 14 | 4 | 3 |
| League total | 119 | 25 | 20 |
Each BBL club can register up to 18 primary-squad players, including a maximum of three overseas signings.
Which BBL teams still have overseas vacancies?
Four clubs have one overseas position available each: Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Renegades.
Perth Scorchers, Melbourne Stars, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder have completed their three overseas signings.
Player availability differs between contracts. Aneurin Donald, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson have confirmed full-season availability, including finals. Rishad Hossain’s agreement with Hobart covers the first eight matches.
Temporary replacement agreements are tracked separately. Brisbane Heat’s Bevon Jacobs will cover Tom Curran’s first three matches without increasing the club’s primary-squad count.
View the full BBL 2026-27 squads for individual contracts, remaining vacancies and player availability.
Are Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and other Pakistan players confirmed for BBL|16?
Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan are not listed in the currently verified BBL|16 primary squads.
Recent media reporting also mentions Haris Rauf in connection with Adelaide Strikers, but an official club confirmation was not established in this update. His status should not be counted as a confirmed signing until verified.
Check the latest BBL player signings for confirmed contracts.
How does the BBL 2026-27 points table and finals system work?
All eight teams start BBL|16 on zero points. Each team plays ten regular-season matches, and the top four on the BBL points table qualify for the finals. The table records matches, wins, losses, no-results, points and net run rate.
| Final | Date | Teams and outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier | 19 January 2027 | 1st vs 2nd; winner reaches the Final and loser gets a second chance |
| Knockout | 20 January 2027 | 3rd vs 4th; winner advances and loser is eliminated |
| Challenger | 23 January 2027 | Qualifier loser vs Knockout winner; winner reaches the Final |
| Final | 26 January 2027 | Qualifier winner vs Challenger winner |
The finals venues depend on which teams qualify and earn hosting rights. No BBL|16 finals venue should be treated as confirmed yet.
Where will BBL 2026-27 matches be played?
The 40 regular-season matches use 11 grounds in Australia and India: MA Chidambaram Stadium, the Gabba, Manuka Oval, Ninja Stadium (Bellerive Oval), the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), ENGIE Stadium (Sydney Showground Stadium), Optus Stadium (Perth Stadium), Junction Oval, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Adelaide Oval and University of Tasmania Stadium. Finals grounds will be set after the top-four positions are known.
Where can you watch BBL 2026-27?
Every BBL|16 match is scheduled for Foxtel and Kayo in Australia. Seven and 7plus will show 30 regular-season matches and all four finals live and free. Ten regular-season games will be exclusive to Fox Cricket and Kayo in Australia.
| Country or region | Confirmed BBL|16 broadcast status on 15 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Australia | All 44 matches on Foxtel and Kayo; 30 regular-season matches and all four finals on Seven and 7plus |
| India | JioStar is confirmed for the Chennai opener on 12 December; the full-season rights announcement is still pending |
| Pakistan | Full-season broadcaster not yet officially announced |
| United Kingdom and other markets | Full-season broadcasters not yet officially announced |
Are BBL 2026-27 tickets on sale?
Yes. Tickets for BBL 2026-27 regular-season matches in Australia and the Chennai opener are on sale, subject to availability.
Australian match tickets went on public sale on 20 August, with early-bird pricing available until 5 November unless allocations sell out earlier.
Tickets for Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers in Chennai first went on sale on 10 October. District by Zomato is the official ticketing partner for the match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on 12 December.
Check the official Chennai BBL tickets or visit our BBL 2026-27 ticket guide for Australian match booking information.
Ticket prices and available seating depend on the fixture and ticket category. Finals tickets will be released once the qualifying teams and venues are determined.