Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash League will open its season in Chennai this year, becoming the first foreign cricket league to stage a match in the Indian market.
The landmark announcement was made on 11 July during a visit to Melbourne by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, part of a broader push to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. Melbourne Renegades will face defending champions Perth Scorchers on 12 December at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in front of one of global cricket’s most passionate audiences.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the fixture reflected the shared sporting culture between the two nations. “Australia and India are united by our love and passion for sport,” he said. “I am excited to expand cooperation with India on sport, which not only brings joy to Australians but boosts trade, tourism and investment.”
The match will form the centrepiece of a week long festival titled G’day Namaste, to be staged across India in December, featuring a programme of Australian cultural, business and sporting events. Speaking alongside Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Modi said he expected the sporting partnership to translate into wider success. “I am confident that just like in sports, our partnership too will become a champion in every field,” he said.
Commercial details surrounding the fixture, including ticket sales, have yet to be finalised. Cricket Australia’s Big Bash League chief Alistair Dobson said organisers were confident of a strong turnout given the depth of cricketing passion in the region. “We know they’re incredibly passionate cricket fans all over India, but particularly in Chennai,” he said. “Everyone we’ve spoken to has been really optimistic that we should expect a good crowd.”
The fixture will mark the first Big Bash League match ever played outside Australia. West Australia cricket chief John Stephenson described the occasion as a significant milestone for his franchise and the wider game in the state. “This is a genuinely historic moment for Perth Scorchers and for cricket in Western Australia,” he said. “India is the heartland of global cricket, and bringing the Scorchers to that audience is an opportunity we have embraced wholeheartedly.”
