BBL 2026-27 Full Schedule: All 44 Fixtures, Dates and Venues

The BBL 2026-27 full schedule is out, and the season runs from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027. The Big Bash League breaks new ground this summer: the opening match sends the Melbourne Renegades and the Perth Scorchers to Chennai, and the league returns to Australia at the Gabba on 15 December. The full list holds 44 fixtures: 40 league matches, with every team playing ten, and a four-match finals series that ends with the final on Australia Day, 26 January. Cricket Australia announced the schedule on 14 July 2026. Every fixture, with dates and venues, is in the table below.

The Big Bash League is about to make history. BBL 2026-27, the 16th season of the competition, begins on December 12, 2026 with the first BBL match ever played outside Australia, as the Melbourne Renegades face the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. From there the action returns to Australia for 40 league matches, ending with the final on January 26, 2027. Here is the full BBL 2026-27 schedule with every fixture, date, venue and start time, plus the new playing rules, the teams to watch and how to watch every ball.

BBL 2026-27 Full Schedule: The Season at a Glance

The 2026-27 season is officially BBL 16, and it runs from December 12, 2026 to January 26, 2027. Eight teams will contest 44 matches in total: 40 league games followed by the Qualifier, the Knockout, the Challenger and the Final. Six days of the season feature double-headers, which means fans get two matches back-to-back on the biggest days of the summer. The Perth Scorchers arrive as defending champions after lifting their sixth title, and they start the season as the team to beat. The Melbourne Renegades have a new home at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after leaving Marvel Stadium, with their games split between the MCG and Junction Oval. The MCG will host six matches across the season, and the Christmas Eve fixture returns to the calendar for the first time in four years.

Historic Chennai Opener

The BBL has never left Australia in its 15 previous seasons, but that changes on December 12. The Melbourne Renegades host the Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai at 2:40 PM local time, and organisers are targeting a full house at the 38,000-seat venue. Indian viewers can watch the landmark fixture on JioStar, which makes the opener a genuine crossover moment for the league. The Renegades will be led by Will Sutherland with Luke Ronchi as head coach, and the squad has serious star power after the signing of Jonny Bairstow in a deal reported to be worth more than $400,000 for the season. Adam Zampa, Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk add more international quality to the group. Reports suggest that Mohammad Rizwan and Hassan Khan are unlikely to take part in the Chennai opener even if they remain with the franchise for the season, so the focus will stay on the Australian and New Zealand stars in this historic game.

First Australian Fixture and Other Key Dates

After the Chennai opener, the tournament shifts to Australia. The first match on Australian soil takes place on December 15, when the Brisbane Heat host the Sydney Sixers at the Gabba in Brisbane. The first Sydney Smash follows on December 19 at the Sydney Showground Stadium, and the Melbourne derby rivalry gets going on January 4 at the MCG. One of the most welcome announcements is the return of the Christmas Eve fixture after a four-year absence. On December 24, the Melbourne Renegades host the Hobart Hurricanes at Junction Oval, bringing festive cricket back to Australian fans. The Boxing Day double-header on December 26 and the New Year double-headers on January 1 and January 4 keep the holiday period packed with big games.

Full BBL 2026-27 Fixture List

The league stage runs from December 12 to January 17, with each of the eight teams playing 10 matches. Start times below are shown in IST, and fans can also track every game on the upcoming fixtures page. The four finals follow the league stage, with the venues to be confirmed based on the final standings. The grand final is scheduled for January 26, 2027, which is Australia Day, with a reserve day in place.

Derby Days: The Sydney Smash and the Melbourne Derby

The two city rivalries own four of the biggest dates in the league. The Sydney Smash comes first: the Sydney Thunder host the Sydney Sixers at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday 19 December, and the return match fills the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday 15 January 2027. The Melbourne derby follows in the New Year. The Melbourne Stars host the Melbourne Renegades at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday 4 January, and the Renegades host the return match at the same ground on Saturday 16 January, the final Melbourne Cricket Ground match of the league season. The Renegades move makes this derby new: the club left Marvel Stadium and now shares the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the Stars, so both derbies sit at the home of Australian cricket. The two Sydney clubs also share a second home this season, with both teams taking home matches to Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The Finals: Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and an Australia Day Final

Ten league matches decide the top four, and the finals format stays the same as last season. The Qualifier opens the finals on Tuesday 19 January 2027, with first place hosting second place. The winner goes straight to the final and earns the right to host it. The Knockout follows on Wednesday 20 January, with third place hosting fourth place, and the loser goes home. The Challenger sits on Saturday 23 January: the loser of the Qualifier hosts the winner of the Knockout for the second place in the final. The final closes the season on Tuesday 26 January 2027, Australia Day, with a reserve day held back in case of bad weather. Cricket Australia set the date to use the public holiday and to clear the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India. The extra day of rest between the Challenger and the final is also new, after the heavy travel of the BBL 15 finals.

The Venues: Eleven Grounds Across Australia and India

The 40 league matches spread across 11 grounds. Chennai joins the map for one night only, and the league then settles into the Australian homes: the Gabba in Brisbane, Adelaide Oval, the Sydney Cricket Ground, ENGIE Stadium in Sydney, Perth Stadium, Bellerive Oval in Hobart and the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston, Manuka Oval in Canberra, and two Melbourne homes, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval. Canberra holds a bigger place this season, with the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers both taking home matches to Manuka Oval. The Hobart Hurricanes split the home list between Hobart and Launceston. Perth Stadium holds five Scorchers home matches: the Hurricanes on 20 December, the Stars on Boxing Day, the Thunder on 30 December, the Heat on 4 January and the Renegades on 13 January. The finals grounds follow the ladder, and the teams that finish highest host the finals matches. Fixture details on this page were checked against the official Cricket Australia fixture list.

New Playing Conditions for BBL 2026-27

The BBL has always loved innovation, and this season brings two major rule changes. The first is the designated batter and fielder rule, which works in a similar fashion to the Impact Player rule used in the Indian Premier League. Before the bat flip, teams have the option to name a designated batter from their playing group. The nominated player can only bat and cannot bowl or field during the match. If a team names a designated batter, it must also name a designated fielder. That player cannot bowl but may field and keep wickets. The rule is not mandatory: teams that prefer the traditional format can simply name a standard playing eleven. The new condition will not apply in the WBBL this season, with the league set to review its use in the women game in future seasons. The second change is a tougher and simpler over-rate penalty. Cricket Australia has replaced the old two-timer system with a single countdown: teams get 84 minutes to bowl their 20 overs, and the moment the timer hits zero, full Powerplay fielding restrictions apply for every ball that remains in the innings. That means only two fielders outside the circle, which is the most batter-friendly field setting in the game. There are no post-match fines or points deductions anymore; the in-game penalty is the only sanction.

Teams to Watch

The Perth Scorchers start as favourites as they chase a seventh title, and the arrival of Zak Crawley adds more batting muscle to an already settled group. The Sydney Sixers will be driven by new head coach Matthew Mott, whose white-ball record speaks for itself. The Brisbane Heat have strengthened with the signing of Tom Curran, while the Adelaide Strikers can call on Ben Stokes for game-changing moments. The Melbourne Renegades look dangerous with Jonny Bairstow, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Adam Zampa in the same squad. The Melbourne Stars and the Hobart Hurricanes have the depth to trouble anyone on their day, and the Sydney Thunder begin a new era under head coach Andrew Flintoff.

How to Watch BBL 2026-27

The historic Chennai opener will be shown on JioStar for Indian viewers, which underlines how big the league sees the Indian market this season. Fans in Australia can follow every match through the official BBL broadcast partners, with the full TV and streaming guide published closer to the season. Supporters in other regions should check their local listings as December approaches, and the upcoming fixtures page on this site will keep every date and venue in one place.

FAQ