Australian domestic cricket will break new ground this summer, with the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers set to play the opening match of KFC BBL|16 in Chennai, marking the first time the Big Bash League has staged a regular season fixture outside Australia.
The historic match will be played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on 12 December, following an announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint appearance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
The fixture forms part of a wider Australia-India sports partnership, with the two leaders launching an India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap aimed at expanding cooperation in sports science, athlete development, major event delivery and sports technology.
“Today, I announce that Australia will bring the Big Bash League to India for the first time,” Mr Albanese said.
“The season opener for this summer’s Big Bash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Perth Scorchers will be played in Chennai on Saturday, the 12th of December, and it will kick off a week-long G’day Namaste festival of Australian sport, culture, and business engagement.”
He said the roadmap would strengthen cooperation across sport while creating opportunities in trade, tourism and investment.
“This roadmap will support practical cooperation in areas such as sports science, and staging major sporting events, as well as broader opportunities in trade, tourism, and investment.”
Mr Modi described cricket as a shared passion between the two countries and welcomed the decision to bring the Big Bash League to India.
“I am also extremely delighted that a Big Bash League match will be held in Chennai, India. For any sporting league, staging an event in India guarantees tremendous reach and viewership.”
He said the new sports roadmap would extend cooperation beyond cricket.
“It gives me great pleasure to launch the India Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap today with Prime Minister Albanese.”
“Through this initiative, we will deepen cooperation not only in cricket, but across a wide range of sports. We will work together in sports training, sports science, and sports technology. We will strengthen our partnership both on the field and off the field, as well.”
The Chennai fixture is expected to introduce one of Australia’s biggest sporting competitions to one of the world’s largest cricket audiences. The match will be broadcast live in Australia by Seven Network and Fox Cricket, while JioStar will carry the coverage across India.
Cricket Australia Executive General Manager of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said the match represented a major step for the competition.
“Today is a huge moment for the Big Bash Leagues and for Australian cricket.”
“Chennai is home to some of the most passionate cricket fans on the planet, and we can’t wait to bring the BBL to the MA Chidambaram Stadium.”
“We’re hugely excited by the opportunity and we expect the match will be the most-watched game in Australian domestic league history for any sport.”
Mr Dobson thanked the Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers and their players for embracing the overseas fixture, along with the Australian Government and the Centre for Australia-India Relations for supporting the project.
“We’re grateful for the support of the Australian Government and the Centre for Australia-India Relations in helping bring this historic match to life. That the match will form the centrepiece of the G’Day Namaste program demonstrates the power of cricket to bring our two nations together across industry, government and people-to-people links.”
He also acknowledged the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for helping make the match possible.
“Our thanks also extend to the BCCI and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association who have been instrumental in making the BBL’s first international fixture a reality. We look forward to continuing working with them to deliver an amazing BBL match in Chennai.”
Ryan Neelam, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Australia India Relations, said cricket continued to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“Cricket is a powerful connector between Australia and India, and we’re proud to support Cricket Australia through our Maitri Grants program to bring the Big Bash League to Chennai.”
“This initiative will strengthen people to people ties, create new opportunities for collaboration and deepen the shared passion for cricket that unites our two nations.”
Tamil Nadu Cricket Association President T. J. Srinivasaraj said hosting the opening match reflected the growing relationship between Australian and Indian cricket.
“The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) is privileged to partner with Cricket Australia (CA) in this landmark occasion of staging the first-ever Big Bash League match in India.”
“This historic event reflects the spirit of collaboration between our organizations and underscores our shared commitment to delivering cricket at the highest international standards.”
“We are confident that this initiative will provide an exceptional experience for players, officials, fans, broadcasters, and commercial partners. Further, this will strengthen the bonds of relationship and sporting excellence between India and Australia and showcasing Chennai as a proud host city for global cricket.”
The opening match will be played on Saturday, 12 December, with the first ball scheduled for 2.40pm local time in Chennai, or 8.10pm AEDT. Cricket Australia is expected to release the full KFC BBL|16 fixture next week.
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