The Big Bash is going somewhere it has never been before. BBL|16, the 16th season of Australia's men's T20 franchise league, runs from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027 — 46 days, eight teams and 44 matches run by Cricket Australia. Every team plays 10 league matches, the top four go through to the finals, and the trophy is lifted on Australia Day, 26 January.
The headline is historic. For the first time ever, a Big Bash match will be played outside Australia: the season opens in Chennai, India, where Melbourne Renegades host Perth Scorchers on 12 December. And what a team to open against. Perth are the defending champions and the most successful side in BBL history, with a record six titles. Everyone else starts the season chasing them.
The regular season wraps up on 17 January, then comes a four-match finals series — Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final. Squads are still being completed: 117 players are confirmed so far, with 27 roster spots still open, so expect a few more big signings before December.
This guide has everything in one place: the full 44-match schedule with dates, venues and local start times, the format and the new rules for BBL|16, a team-by-team look at all eight squads, notes on every venue, and a complete recap of last season's records.
BBL|16 at a Glance
Format, Finals System and New Rules
The league stage is simple. Eight teams, 10 matches each, and the top four on the points table advance. Where the BBL gets interesting is the finals, because finishing higher genuinely protects you.
· Qualifier (19 January): 1st v 2nd. The winner goes straight to the Final. The loser is not out — they get a second chance in the Challenger.
· Knockout (20 January): 3rd v 4th. Win and you move on. Lose and your season is over.
· Challenger (23 January): The Qualifier loser v the Knockout winner, for the second spot in the Final.
· Final (26 January): Qualifier winner v Challenger winner, with a reserve day available if the weather turns.
Finals matches are hosted by the higher-placed teams, with the exact venues confirmed once the standings are known.
What is new for BBL|16
Designated batter and designated fielder. Before the bat flip, a team may name a designated batter — a player who can bat but cannot field or bowl — paired with a designated fielder, who can field or keep wicket but cannot bat or bowl. It is optional, it applies to the men's BBL only, and it lets a side protect an injured star's batting or squeeze in a specialist. Expect plenty of debate about how teams use it.
The 84-minute over-rate rule. Each innings now runs against an 84-minute countdown. If the bowling side has not completed its 20 overs when the countdown expires, full Powerplay fielding restrictions apply for the rest of the innings — only two fielders allowed outside the circle. Slow over rates are about to become very expensive.
No more overseas draft. The draft has been scrapped. Clubs now sign overseas players directly, with up to three overseas players in a squad of up to 18. Several clubs have already filled all three spots.
Dates to circle
The fixture list is loaded with set pieces: six double-header dates, a Christmas Eve match on 24 December (Renegades v Hurricanes at Junction Oval), a Boxing Day double-header on 26 December, the traditional New Year's Eve game in Adelaide on 31 December, and a New Year's Day double-header on 1 January.
BBL|16 Full Schedule
All start times below are venue local times.
December fixtures
January fixtures
The finals
The Eight Teams
Adelaide Strikers
Matt Short captains the Strikers under coach Tim Paine, and the headline news is the overseas signings: Ben Stokes and Mark Chapman, with Chapman locked in for the full season. Alex Carey, Jason Sangha, Henry Thornton and Lloyd Pope give them a strong local core. The Strikers won the title once, back in 2017-18, and their New Year's Eve home game at Adelaide Oval is one of the great nights of the Australian summer.
Brisbane Heat
The Heat start a new era under coach James Hopes, and their captain for BBL|16 is yet to be announced. The overseas signings are Tom Curran — with Bevon Jacobs covering his first three matches — and Tim Robinson. The core is familiar and strong: Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw, Max Bryant, Xavier Bartlett, Michael Neser and Spencer Johnson. Wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson returns for a 13th season and a club-record 124 matches. The Heat are two-time champions, in 2012-13 and 2023-24.
Hobart Hurricanes
Nathan Ellis leads the Hurricanes for coach Jeff Vaughan. Shai Hope and Rishad Hossain are the overseas names — Rishad is signed for the first eight matches after taking 15 wickets in BBL|15 and being named Hobart's Player of the Year. The big domestic move is Adam Zampa, signed from the Renegades, joining Tim David, Ben McDermott and Beau Webster. Hobart won their first title in 2024-25 and reached the finals again last season; nobody treats them as outsiders anymore.
Melbourne Renegades
Will Sutherland captains a Renegades side coached by Luke Ronchi, with Jonny Bairstow and Michael Bracewell signed as overseas players and one overseas spot still open. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Josh Brown bring the fireworks, and Ben Manenti has been signed from the Sixers. Champions in 2018-19, the Renegades are the designated home team for the historic Chennai opener — and their main home ground is now the MCG.
Melbourne Stars
Marcus Stoinis captains the Stars, with Cameron White as coach, and all three overseas spots are already filled: Finn Allen, signed from Perth, plus Jamie Overton and Craig Overton. Glenn Maxwell remains the biggest draw in green, Sam Harper returns after being named Player of the Tournament in BBL|15, and Peter Siddle and Todd Murphy — signed from the Sixers — strengthen the bowling. The Stars are still the only BBL team never to have won the title. This squad looks built to end that wait.
Perth Scorchers
The team everyone has to beat. Ashton Turner captains Perth for coach Adam Voges, with Zak Crawley returning and Calvin Harrison joining as overseas players. The core is the envy of the league: Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris. Six titles, the defending champions, and a home fortress in Perth — the Scorchers start as favourites until someone proves otherwise.
Sydney Sixers
The Sixers are in transition. Long-time captain Moises Henriques has retired, and his successor as captain is yet to be announced, with Matthew Mott taking over as coach. The overseas trio is complete — Tim Seifert, Chris Jordan and Jafer Chohan — and Steve Smith, Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis anchor the local group. Three-time champions and last season's runners-up, the Sixers are in the finals picture almost every year.
Sydney Thunder
David Warner captains the Thunder under new coach Andrew Flintoff, and their overseas trio is arguably the league's best on paper: Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Sam Billings, all available for the full season. Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha and young Sam Konstas complete a well-balanced squad. The Thunder won their only title in 2015-16; with that bowling attack, a second one is a realistic target.
Venues
· MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — the first BBL venue outside Australia. The famous Chepauk hosts only the season opener, and a spin-friendly surface under lights will be a very different start to a Big Bash season.
· The Gabba, Brisbane — the Heat's home and one of the loudest grounds in the country. Hosts the first match on Australian soil, on 15 December.
· Adelaide Oval, Adelaide — home of the Strikers and of the New Year's Eve match, one of the BBL's signature nights.
· MCG, Melbourne — the biggest stadium in Australian cricket, now the main home of both the Stars and the Renegades, and host of both Melbourne derbies.
· Junction Oval, Melbourne — the smaller, old-school ground that hosts the Christmas Eve game and several Renegades and Stars fixtures.
· SCG, Sydney — the Sixers' historic home, all heritage stands and big-match atmosphere.
· ENGIE Stadium, Sydney — the Sydney Showground, the Thunder's main home in the city's west.
· Manuka Oval, Canberra — the capital's boutique ground, hosting home games for both the Thunder and the Sixers this season.
· Optus Stadium, Perth — the Scorchers' fortress, where about 55,000 fans watched last season's final.
· Bellerive Oval, Hobart — the Hurricanes' home, now sponsored as Ninja Stadium, small and windy and never easy for visitors.
· University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston — hosts one Hurricanes home game, against the Strikers on 9 January.
BBL|15 Recap: Last Season's Records
Last season belonged to one team. The Perth Scorchers won a record sixth BBL title, and they did it the hard way and the easy way at the same time: they topped the league table with seven wins from 10 matches and 14 points, then beat the Sydney Sixers three times in the one season — in the opener, in the Qualifier and again in the Final.
The Final, played on 25 January 2026 at Optus Stadium in front of about 55,000 fans, was one-sided. The Sixers were bowled out for 132. Steve Smith, Josh Philippe and captain Moises Henriques all made 24, but nobody went on, as David Payne (3-18), Jhye Richardson (3-32) and Mahli Beardman (2-29) worked through the order.
Perth knocked the runs off in 17.3 overs, winning by six wickets with 15 balls to spare. Mitchell Marsh made 44 and Finn Allen 36 in an 80-run opening stand that settled the match early, and Josh Inglis finished it with a six. Payne was named Player of the Final for his 3-18.
The season's individual records:
· Most runs: Finn Allen (Perth Scorchers) — 466 runs, winning the BKT Golden Bat. David Warner was second with 433 for Sydney Thunder.
· Most wickets: Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) — 20 wickets, winning the BKT Golden Arm.
· Player of the Tournament: Sam Harper (Melbourne Stars) — 381 runs, the standout wicketkeeper-batter of the season.
Those numbers set the bar for BBL|16. Allen has since moved to the Stars, Rauf's 20-wicket season is the bowling benchmark, and Perth's six titles are the record everyone else is chasing.
Every BBL Champion
Title count: Perth Scorchers 6, Sydney Sixers 3, Brisbane Heat 2, and one each for Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes. The Melbourne Stars are still waiting for their first.
Players to Watch in BBL|16
· Finn Allen (Melbourne Stars) — last season's top run-scorer has swapped Perth for the Stars; how he goes in green is one of the stories of the season.
· Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers) — the leader of the champions' charge last season and still the most destructive opener in the league on his day.
· Trent Boult (Sydney Thunder) — a headline signing, available all season; new-ball wickets under lights win T20 games.
· Ben Stokes (Adelaide Strikers) — the biggest overseas name in the league this season; his every appearance will be an event.
· David Warner (Sydney Thunder) — the Thunder captain made 433 runs last season, second only to Allen, and remains box office.
· Adam Zampa (Hobart Hurricanes) — Australia's premier white-ball leg-spinner in new colours after his move from the Renegades.
· Rishad Hossain (Hobart Hurricanes) — the young leg-spinner took 15 wickets in BBL|15 and was Hobart's Player of the Year; he is back for the first eight matches.
FAQs
When does BBL|16 start and finish?
BBL|16 starts on Saturday 12 December 2026, with Melbourne Renegades playing Perth Scorchers in Chennai. The regular season ends on 17 January 2027, and the Final is on Tuesday 26 January 2027, Australia Day.
Why is the first match of BBL|16 in Chennai?
Cricket Australia has taken the season opener to India as a one-off showcase — the first BBL match ever played outside Australia. The Renegades are the designated home team. Everything after the opener is played at the usual Australian venues, starting with the Heat v Sixers at the Gabba on 15 December.
How does the BBL finals system work?
The top four teams qualify. In the Qualifier, 1st plays 2nd: the winner goes straight to the Final and the loser gets a second chance. In the Knockout, 3rd plays 4th and the loser is eliminated. The Challenger pits the Qualifier loser against the Knockout winner, and the Final is between the Qualifier winner and the Challenger winner.
What is the designated batter and designated fielder rule?
It is new for BBL|16 and optional. Before the bat flip, a team may name a designated batter, who can bat but cannot field or bowl, paired with a designated fielder, who can field or keep wicket but cannot bat or bowl. It applies to the men's BBL only.
Who are the defending champions?
The Perth Scorchers. They beat the Sydney Sixers in the BBL|15 final to win a record sixth title, and no team in BBL history has won more.
Are any Pakistani players playing in BBL|16?
As things stand, no Pakistani player is confirmed in any of the eight primary squads. Big Pakistani names such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were part of BBL squads in earlier seasons, but they do not appear on the confirmed BBL|16 lists. With 27 roster spots still open across the league, that picture could change before December — we will update this guide if it does.
The Bottom Line
BBL|16 has a bit of everything: a first-ever match in Chennai, a new designated batter rule, an 84-minute clock on over rates, Stokes and Boult in new colours, the Stars hunting a first title, and the six-time champion Scorchers waiting for all of them. Forty league matches from 12 December, finals from 19 January, and a champion crowned on Australia Day.
Follow every match ball by ball on our live cricket scores page, plan your viewing with the upcoming cricket matches, and keep an eye on the Cricvic blog all season — including our complete coverage of the women's game and WBBL|12.