BBL is coming to India for the first time, but no clarity on Pakistan players yet

BBL is coming to India. Yes, you read that right.

For the first time in its history, the Big Bash League will stage a match outside Australia, with the Melbourne Renegades taking on defending champions Perth Scorchers at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12 to kick off the 2026-2027 season.

The historic fixture, officially a Renegades home game, was unveiled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the presence of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Backed by both governments, the event is part of Cricket Australia's push to grow the BBL's global footprint and strengthen cricket ties with India.

One interesting subplot will be the availability of Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and all rounder Hassan Khan, both of whom are part of the Melbourne Renegades squad. It remains unclear whether they will be allowed to feature in Chennai, considering Pakistani players have been barred from the IPL since 2008 and have generally not travelled to India for sporting events because of the political relationship between the two countries. Cricket Australia has not yet clarified their availability for the historic opener.

Cricket Australia also hopes the match could eventually pave the way for an IPL fixture in Australia if the BCCI ever decides to take the tournament overseas.

The move is a rare one in franchise cricket. Apart from the Caribbean Premier League staging matches in the United States, major domestic T20 leagues have rarely taken regular season games outside their home countries. The IPL was played in South Africa and the UAE because of elections and the Covid 19 pandemic, while the Pakistan Super League also spent several seasons in the UAE before returning to Pakistan.

Both teams will travel to India after the Sheffield Shield round ends on December 6 before returning to Australia for an extended break ahead of their next BBL fixtures. Cricket Australia is targeting a sell out crowd at the 35,000 capacity MA Chidambaram Stadium, with the full 2026 to 2027 BBL schedule expected to be announced next week.