The BBL 2026-27 schedule runs from December 12, 2026 to January 26, 2027, and it packs in 44 matches across eight teams. Cricket Australia locked in the full fixture list on July 14, 2026.
This edition breaks new ground. The season opener lands at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the first Big Bash League match ever played outside Australia.
Below, you get every match date, venue and start time for BBL|16, plus the playoff format, venue changes and where to watch.
BBL 2026-27 at a Glance
Here are the headline numbers before you scroll through the full fixture list.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Season | BBL 2026-27 (BBL|16), the 16th edition of the Big Bash League |
| Tournament dates | December 12, 2026 to January 26, 2027 |
| Teams | 8: Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder |
| Total matches | 44 (40 league matches plus 4 playoff matches) |
| Season opener | Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, December 12 |
| Defending champions | Perth Scorchers (6th title, January 2026) |
| Grand final | January 26, 2027 (Australia Day), venue to be announced |
| Format | League stage, then Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final |
With the historic Chennai opener and Christmas Eve cricket returning after four years, BBL Season 16 promises to be the most significant edition in the competition’s history. Fans following BBL Franchise Cricket in Australia can track all 44 matches across eight franchises, from the Chepauk curtain-raiser between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers to the Australia Day Grand Final. As the first foreign T20 league to stage a match on Indian soil, this season marks a landmark moment for the Big Bash and franchise cricket globally.
Full BBL 2026-27 Schedule and Fixtures
The Big Bash League 2026-27 features 40 league matches from December 12 to January 17, followed by four playoff games between January 19 and 26.
Here’s the complete match-by-match list, with every date, venue and kickoff time.
League Stage Fixtures (December 12 to January 17)
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 12 | Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:10 PM AEST |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers | The Gabba, Brisbane | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Wed, Dec 16 | Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Thu, Dec 17 | Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Mon, Dec 21 | Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades | SCG, Sydney | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat | SCG, Sydney | 6:05 PM AEDT |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars | Perth Stadium | 6:15 PM AWST |
| Sun, Dec 27 | Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Mon, Dec 28 | Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers | The Gabba, Brisbane | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Fri, Jan 1 | Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers | MCG, Melbourne | 4:00 PM AEDT |
| Fri, Jan 1 | Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes | The Gabba, Brisbane | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Sat, Jan 2 | Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Jan 3 | Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Mon, Jan 4 | Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades | MCG, Melbourne | 6:05 PM AEDT |
| Mon, Jan 4 | Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat | Perth Stadium | 6:15 PM AWST |
| Tue, Jan 5 | Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Wed, Jan 6 | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Renegades | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Thu, Jan 7 | Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Fri, Jan 8 | Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers | The Gabba, Brisbane | 6:15 PM AEST |
| Sat, Jan 9 | Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers | Aurora Stadium, Launceston | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Jan 10 | Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers | SCG, Sydney | 2:10 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Jan 10 | Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat | Junction Oval, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Mon, Jan 11 | Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Tue, Jan 12 | Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes | Adelaide Oval | 6:45 PM ACDT |
| Wed, Jan 13 | Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades | Perth Stadium | 4:15 PM AWST |
| Thu, Jan 14 | Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Fri, Jan 15 | Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder | SCG, Sydney | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sat, Jan 16 | Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers | Adelaide Oval | 3:30 PM ACDT |
| Sat, Jan 16 | Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars | MCG, Melbourne | 7:15 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Jan 17 | Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 1:40 PM AEDT |
| Sun, Jan 17 | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder | The Gabba, Brisbane | 7:15 PM AEST |
Note – All times are local to the host city and can change if broadcasters request a swap.
Playoffs and Final Schedule
| Date | Stage | What it means | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jan 19 | Qualifier | 1st vs 2nd, winner goes straight to the Final | TBA |
| Wed, Jan 20 | Knockout | 3rd vs 4th, loser is eliminated | TBA |
| Sat, Jan 23 | Challenger | Qualifier loser vs Knockout winner | TBA |
| Tue, Jan 26 | Final | Australia Day final, reserve day available | TBA |
Venues for the Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final depend on which teams finish in the top four, so Cricket Australia will confirm them once the league stage wraps up on January 17.
A Historic BBL Season Opener in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium
For the first time in BBL history, a match will be played outside Australia. Melbourne Renegades face Perth Scorchers at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12, three days before the domestic leg begins at the Gabba.
The Chennai fixture is part of a wider sporting push between Australia and India, described by organisers as part of a broader “G’day Namaste” initiative to grow cricket ties between the two nations.
Expect Australian players to trade MCG chill for Chennai humidity on opening night, and honestly, that swap will test more than their batting.
What’s New in BBL 2026-27
Here are some Key Details about New BBL 2026-27:
Melbourne’s New Home Grounds
Melbourne Renegades leave Marvel Stadium behind this season. Their home matches now split between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval. Melbourne hosts nine regular-season matches this year, up from seven last summer, and both Melbourne Derby clashes against the Stars happen at the MCG.
Canberra and Tasmania Get More Cricket
Manuka Oval in Canberra stages three matches this season, its busiest Big Bash run outside the COVID bubble years. Sydney Thunder host both Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars there, and Sydney Sixers play a home game against the Strikers at Manuka too, since the SCG is unavailable during an Australia-New Zealand Test match.
Hobart Hurricanes also send one game north to Aurora Stadium in Launceston on January 9. On the scheduling side, no team plays three matches in five days this year, and organisers built in an extra break between the Challenger and Final to cut down on travel fatigue during the knockout stretch.
How the BBL 2026-27 Playoffs Work
The top four teams after the league stage move into a four-match finals series, the same format the IPL uses. The team that finishes first gets two shots at reaching the Final.
Qualifier: 1st vs 2nd. The winner advances straight to the Final.
Knockout: 3rd vs 4th. The loser is out of the tournament.
Challenger: Qualifier loser vs Knockout winner, for the second Final spot.
Final: January 26, 2027, on Australia Day, with a reserve day available if rain interferes.
Defending Champions and Key Storylines
Perth Scorchers won their sixth title in January 2026, beating Sydney Sixers in the final, and they enter this season defending the crown. Only two teams have gone back-to-back before, the Scorchers themselves in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and Sydney Sixers in 2019-20 and 2020-21, so Perth has done this before and knows exactly what it takes.
Australia’s Test regulars may miss large chunks of the season, since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India runs through the same window. That opens the door for young domestic talent and overseas signings to grab the spotlight.
Cricket Victoria also announced in June 2026 that Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades will merge their administrations, though both clubs stay separate on the field for BBL|16. It’s a story worth watching over the next few seasons, even if it changes nothing about this year’s fixtures.
Where to Watch BBL 2026-27
Cricket Australia’s broadcast partnerships with Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports and JioStar (Star Sports and JioHotstar in India) run through the 2030-31 season, so the same networks should carry BBL 2026-27.
A formal 2026-27 rights confirmation from these broadcasters wasn’t out at the time of writing, so treat this as the expected setup rather than a locked announcement.In Australia, Kayo Sports streams every match ad-free during play, while Seven Network and 7Plus carry a selection of games free to air.
In India, JioHotstar and Star Sports have covered recent seasons and remain the most likely home for BBL|16.
A quick time zone guide for viewers in India and Asia, since Australia spans three time zones during summer:
- Matches in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart and Canberra run on AEDT, about 5.5 hours ahead of IST.
- Matches in Brisbane run on AEST, roughly 4.5 hours ahead of IST.
- Matches in Adelaide run on ACDT, around 5 hours ahead of IST.
- Matches in Perth run on AWST, close to 2.5 hours ahead of IST.
Final Word: BBL 2026-27 Starts from December 12 With Opening Game in Chennai
BBL 2026-27 kicks off in unfamiliar territory, then settles into a packed 37-day sprint across Australia’s biggest grounds.
Mark December 12 for the Chennai opener, December 24 for Christmas Eve cricket at Junction Oval, and January 26 for the Australia Day final.
With no team allowed three matches in five days and four states fighting for the same four playoff spots, this schedule sets up another tight finish to the Big Bash summer.
