The BBL 2026-27 between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will head to India for the first time in their history.
Updated: July 10, 2026, 4:04 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/bbl-2026-27-opener-between-melbourne-renegades-and-perth-scorchers-set-to-take-place-in-chennai-pm-narendra-modi-says-india-guarantees-large-base-and-viewership-8470525/
PM Narendra Modi with Australia PM Anthony Albanese and Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan at MCG. (Photo: PTI)
For the first time in the history of Big Bash League (BBL) – the T20 franchise league from Australia – the opening fixture will take place outside the country and will be heading to India. In a landmark decision by Cricket Australia unveiled as a ‘Sports Collaboration Roadmap’ between India and Australia, the BBL 2026-27 opener between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will take place at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk this year.
It will be the first time in the history that a foreign T20 league match will be organized in India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this major decision at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, alongside his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
“I am happy that a Big Bash league match will be organised in India, in Chennai. Any sporting league that conducts games in India is guaranteed to reach a large base and fetch big viewership,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the MCG on Friday.
Cricket Australia has confirmed Melbourne Renegades will play Perth Scorchers in India this December in what the league anticipates will be the most watched game in Big Bash history: https://t.co/AyEEyaoJhc pic.twitter.com/Stnz0lzoNs
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 10, 2026
The announcement formed the centrepiece of a week-long ‘G’Day Namaste’ festival across India, featuring Australian cultural, business and sporting events, according to a statement issued by the Australian government.
The India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, released jointly by Modi and Albanese at the MCG, will look to promote partnerships in sports training and capacity building, sports science and technology, and sports industry and investment, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The event at the MCG was attended by Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan, former Australia World Cup-winning captain Steve Waugh and former Australian women’s captain Lisa Sthalekar. The MEA said the visit highlighted the growing significance of sports, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections as key elements of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
As part of the roadmap, the two countries will also organise an ‘India-Australia Youth Sports Festival’ to encourage greater interaction among young athletes and strengthen sporting links. The BBL 2026-27 opener between the Renegades and champions Scorchers will get underway at 240pm IST, following the fourth day’s play of the opening Test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth.
Chepauk is the home ground of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – the joint most successful Indian Premier League team alongside Mumbai Indians with five titles to their name.
PM Modi said sports had a unique ability to unite people and that the roadmap would help diversify the sporting partnership between India and Australia. He congratulated Australia for winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 20256 and said the two countries were entering an important decade in international sports, with India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia preparing to stage the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
“Australia and India are united by our love and passion for sport. This sports roadmap will focus on practical priority areas such as capability building, technology and research to strengthen this cornerstone of our bilateral relationship,” Albanese said.
