Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers in Chennai: Cricket Australia finalises BBL 2026 opener as Big Bash comes to India originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers set for Chennai on December 12 in BBL opener.
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PM Modi is expected to formally announce the historic fixture during his Sydney visit.
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Scheduling, travel logistics and December flooding remain key challenges to finalise.
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Australian domestic cricket is heading to Indian soil for the first time ever, with the Big Bash League reportedly locking in Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers as the two sides to play the competition’s historic India debut in Chennai on December 12.
According to Code Sports,the decision has been taken subject to a final agreement between Cricket Australia and the Asian Cricket Association.
The groundwork for this landmark fixture was laid in February this year when two Cricket Australia officials, head of business operations Phil Rigby and head of competition development and strategy Margot Harley, travelled to India to explore the possibility of hosting a BBL match on the subcontinent.
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Since then, a five-member CA delegation has visited Chennai specifically to assess venue readiness, arriving around the time Chennai Super Kings played their final IPL home game of the season. The visit also saw BCCI president Mithun Manhas sit down with the Australian officials.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai was always the preferred host venue, and both the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the BCCI responded positively to the idea, giving CA the confidence to push the plan forward.
While CA originally explored the possibility of staging more than one BBL match in India, scheduling complexities have trimmed the plan down to just the season opener for now.
