BBL Schedule 2026-27: Full Big Bash League Fixtures, Dates, Venues and Timings

The BBL schedule 2026-27 is officially out, and the sixteenth season of the Big Bash League promises to be the biggest one yet. Running from 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027, it features 44 matches — 40 league games and four finals — played by eight city-based franchises across Australia, plus one historic match in India. Here is the complete Big Bash League 2026-27 schedule with dates, venues and IST timings.

What makes this season special is its opening match: for the first time in Big Bash history, a BBL match will be played outside Australia, as defending champions Perth Scorchers take on Melbourne Renegades at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on 12 December 2026. The tournament then moves to Australia, building to the grand final on Australia Day, 26 January 2027.

BBL Schedule 2026-27: Key Dates at a Glance

Here are the headline moments of the BBL 2026-27 timetable, from the Chennai opener to the final.

Date	BBL 2026-27 Key Fixture or Stage
12 December 2026	Season opener: Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, Chennai
15 December 2026	First match in Australia: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, Gabba
19 December 2026	First Sydney Smash: Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers
24 December 2026	Christmas Eve match: Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes
26 December 2026	Boxing Day double-header: Sixers vs Heat, then Scorchers vs Stars
31 December 2026	New Year’s Eve match: Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars
1 January 2027	New Year’s Day double-header: Renegades vs Sixers, then Heat vs Hurricanes
10 January 2027	BBL|15 finalists meet again: Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers
16 January 2027	Melbourne derby: Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars
17 January 2027	Final day of the league stage: two matches
19 January 2027	The Qualifier
20 January 2027	The Knockout
23 January 2027	The Challenger
26 January 2027	The BBL|16 Final on Australia Day

The season runs for 46 days and includes six double-header days, with a game on almost every night except Christmas Day itself.

Big Bash League 2026-27 Full Fixtures: December 2026 Matches

The December leg begins with the Chennai opener and then settles into its nightly rhythm in Australia, taking the tournament from Brisbane to Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide, with every team in action early. Christmas Eve cricket returns for the first time in four years, and Boxing Day brings the first double-header. All timings below are in IST.

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Sat, 12 Dec 2026	Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	2:40 PM
Tue, 15 Dec 2026	Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers	The Gabba, Brisbane	1:45 PM
Wed, 16 Dec 2026	Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers	Manuka Oval, Canberra	1:45 PM
Thu, 17 Dec 2026	Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat	Ninja Stadium, Hobart	1:45 PM
Fri, 18 Dec 2026	Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Sat, 19 Dec 2026	Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	1:45 PM
Sun, 20 Dec 2026	Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes	Perth Stadium, Perth	1:45 PM
Mon, 21 Dec 2026	Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat	Junction Oval, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Tue, 22 Dec 2026	Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	1:45 PM
Wed, 23 Dec 2026	Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	1:45 PM
Thu, 24 Dec 2026	Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes	Junction Oval, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Sat, 26 Dec 2026	Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	12:35 PM
Sat, 26 Dec 2026	Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars	Perth Stadium, Perth	3:45 PM
Sun, 27 Dec 2026	Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	1:45 PM
Mon, 28 Dec 2026	Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers	The Gabba, Brisbane	1:45 PM
Tue, 29 Dec 2026	Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars	Ninja Stadium, Hobart	1:45 PM
Wed, 30 Dec 2026	Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder	Perth Stadium, Perth	1:45 PM
Thu, 31 Dec 2026	Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	1:45 PM

Note the two-day break after the Chennai opener: the tournament pauses on 13 and 14 December before the Australian leg begins at the Gabba.

BBL Fixtures January 2027: The Run to the Finals

January is where the Big Bash League 2026-27 schedule gets serious. The New Year’s Day double-header opens the month, and with each team playing ten league matches in total, the January fixtures decide which four clubs reach the finals. The standout dates are the two Melbourne derbies on 4 and 16 January, the second Sydney Smash on 15 January, and the BBL|15 final rematch between the Sixers and the Scorchers on 10 January.

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Fri, 1 Jan 2027	Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	10:30 AM
Fri, 1 Jan 2027	Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes	The Gabba, Brisbane	1:45 PM
Sat, 2 Jan 2027	Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers	ENGIE Stadium, Sydney	1:45 PM
Sun, 3 Jan 2027	Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers	Manuka Oval, Canberra	1:45 PM
Mon, 4 Jan 2027	Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	12:35 PM
Mon, 4 Jan 2027	Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat	Perth Stadium, Perth	3:45 PM
Tue, 5 Jan 2027	Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder	Ninja Stadium, Hobart	1:45 PM
Wed, 6 Jan 2027	Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Renegades	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	1:45 PM
Thu, 7 Jan 2027	Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Thu, 7 Jan 2027	Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers	The Gabba, Brisbane	1:45 PM
Sat, 9 Jan 2027	Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers	University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston	1:45 PM
Sun, 10 Jan 2027	Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	8:40 AM
Sun, 10 Jan 2027	Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat	Junction Oval, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Mon, 11 Jan 2027	Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars	Manuka Oval, Canberra	1:45 PM
Tue, 12 Jan 2027	Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	1:45 PM
Wed, 13 Jan 2027	Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades	Perth Stadium, Perth	1:45 PM
Thu, 14 Jan 2027	Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Fri, 15 Jan 2027	Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	1:45 PM
Sat, 16 Jan 2027	Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide	10:00 AM
Sat, 16 Jan 2027	Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne	1:45 PM
Sun, 17 Jan 2027	Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers	Ninja Stadium, Hobart	8:10 AM
Sun, 17 Jan 2027	Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder	The Gabba, Brisbane	1:45 PM

On double-header days the first match starts in the Indian morning (between 8:10 AM and 12:35 PM IST), with the night game following at the usual 1:45 PM IST — a full day of Big Bash on 1, 4, 10, 16 and 17 January.

BBL 2026-27 Finals Schedule: Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final

After 40 league matches, the top four teams on the BBL points table advance to the finals series. The Qualifier sends its winner straight to the final, the Knockout eliminates the loser of the third-versus-fourth clash, and the Challenger decides who meets the Qualifier winner in the grand final. Host venues are confirmed according to the final standings, which is why they are listed as to be confirmed.

Date	Finals Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Tue, 19 Jan 2027	The Qualifier (1st vs 2nd)	To be confirmed	2:00 PM
Wed, 20 Jan 2027	The Knockout (3rd vs 4th)	To be confirmed	2:00 PM
Sat, 23 Jan 2027	The Challenger (Qualifier loser vs Knockout winner)	To be confirmed	2:00 PM
Tue, 26 Jan 2027	The BBL|16 Final	To be confirmed	2:00 PM

The final is played on Australia Day, Tuesday 26 January 2027, with a reserve day available. Perth Scorchers enter as defending champions after lifting their sixth title, chasing a record seventh championship.

BBL 2026-27 Teams and Home Venues

Eight franchises contest the Big Bash League 2026-27. The biggest venue change belongs to the Melbourne Renegades, who have left Marvel Stadium, their home since the first season, and now split home games between the MCG and Junction Oval.

Team	Home Grounds in BBL|16
Adelaide Strikers	Adelaide Oval
Brisbane Heat	The Gabba, Brisbane
Hobart Hurricanes	Ninja Stadium, Hobart, and University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston
Melbourne Renegades	Melbourne Cricket Ground and Junction Oval
Melbourne Stars	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Perth Scorchers	Perth Stadium
Sydney Sixers	Sydney Cricket Ground, plus one game in Canberra
Sydney Thunder	ENGIE Stadium, Sydney, plus two games in Canberra

BBL Match Timings in IST: When to Watch From India

For Indian viewers, the BBL timetable is simple. Most night matches start at 1:45 PM IST — 7:15 PM AEDT in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, and 6:15 PM AEST in Brisbane. Perth evening games on double-header days start at 3:45 PM IST, and day games between 8:10 AM and 12:35 PM IST, so the fixture tables above are the safest way to check any single match.

The Chennai opener is the exception: played in India, it starts at 2:40 PM IST, a friendly afternoon slot for the Chepauk crowd.

What Is New in the Big Bash League 2026-27 Season

The Chennai opener is the headline change, but not the only one. BBL|16 is the first season to begin outside Australia, staged at a sold-out Chepauk. For the Renegades, the move to the MCG as their primary home is equally significant: they now share Australian cricket’s most famous ground with their rivals, the Stars, giving the Melbourne derby a genuine home-and-away edge.

The overseas signings add another layer: Jonny Bairstow has joined the Renegades in a deal reportedly worth more than $400,000, former England captain Ben Stokes has linked up with the Adelaide Strikers, Zak Crawley heads to the Scorchers, and Andrew Flintoff has taken up a role with the Thunder. Add the return of Christmas Eve cricket, six double-headers, and 30 league matches plus all four finals shown free on Seven in Australia, and BBL|16 shapes up as the most accessible Big Bash season yet.

Matches You Cannot Miss in the BBL Schedule 2026-27

If you only watch a handful of games, make them these: the historic Chennai opener on 12 December, the two Sydney Smashes on 19 December and 15 January, the two Melbourne derbies on 4 and 16 January, and the Sixers versus Scorchers rematch of the BBL|15 final on 10 January.

How to Watch BBL 2026-27 Live in India

Indian viewers can watch the Big Bash League 2026-27 on JioStar platforms, with most night matches at 1:45 PM IST. The Chennai opener at 2:40 PM IST is the most convenient fixture of all, and the finals series runs from 19 January to the grand final on 26 January 2027.

BBL Schedule 2026-27 FAQs

When does the BBL 2026-27 season start?

The BBL 2026-27 season starts on Saturday, 12 December 2026, with Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

When is the BBL 2026-27 final?

The BBL|16 final is scheduled for Tuesday, 26 January 2027, Australia Day, with a reserve day available and the venue confirmed according to the final standings.

How many matches are in the BBL 2026-27 schedule?

There are 44 matches in total: 40 league matches, with each of the eight teams playing ten games, followed by four finals — the Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final.

What time do BBL matches start in India?

Most night matches start at 1:45 PM IST; day games on double-header days start between 8:10 AM and 12:35 PM IST, and Perth evening games at 3:45 PM IST.

Which teams play in the Big Bash League 2026-27?

The eight teams are Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

Who are the defending champions of the BBL?

Perth Scorchers are the defending champions, having lifted their sixth BBL title in BBL|15. They are chasing a record seventh championship in BBL|16.