Renegades to host BBL|16 opener in Chennai, India

For the first time, the Big Bash will begin outside Australia, with the season opener showcasing the noise, colour and world-class cricket that have made the BBL a global phenomenon to a new generation of fans.

Chennai will host the full Big Bash experience, bringing one of the world's most entertaining T20 competitions to a passionate cricket heartland.

Australian viewers won’t miss a moment of the action, with Seven Network and Fox Cricket commentary teams broadcasting live from the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai while JioStar will broadcast the match to millions of Indian viewers.

Match Details
Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers
Saturday, 12 December 2026
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
2:40pm local/8:10pm AEDT

Further details on the match, including ticketing and the full KFC BBL|16 schedule, will be announced in coming weeks.

The Chennai fixture is supported by the Australian Government and the Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR) through a Maitri grant. The match will serve as the centrepiece of the G’day Namaste program, highlighting its broader cultural and diplomatic significance. The Maitri program aims to strengthen ties between Australia and India through education, research and policy collaboration.

Captain Will Sutherland spoke to media at the MCG to officially announce the landmark fixture alongside Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese.

"Massively excited. India is the most cricket mad country in the world and to play a domestic game there representing the Renegades is going to be incredible," Sutherland said.

"To play in front of an Indian crowd, a capacity crowd of 38,000 would be the best result possible. Hopefully we can convert a lot of those yellow Chennai shirts into Renegades red."

Melbourne Renegades General Manager Max Abbott said the opportunity was one that would be embraced by the playing group.

"It's going to be a great experience for our players to go to India and play on the global stage in Chennai. We will be encouraging our group to embrace the cultural experience of playing in a new environment.

"We've seen the success other sports leagues around the world have had in taking fixtures to new markets, and being part of this milestone for cricket expands what may be possible as we continue to grow our audience.

"Despite taking a home fixture to Chennai, the Renegades will still play five BBL matches in Melbourne, matching the number of home games hosted by clubs in other states."