Australia’s Big Bash League match to be played in Chennai, announces Modi

The opening match of the 2026-27 edition of Australian Men’s Big Bash League (BBL) will be played in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12.

The announcement was jointly made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday (July 10).

According to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 'The Collaboration Roadmap' "would promote cooperation in the fields of sports training and capacity building, sports science and technology and sports industry and investment."

First overseas match

The match, which will see Melbourne Renegades pitted against Perth Scorchers, is the first-ever BBL match to be played overseas.

BBL, counted among the world's leading T20 franchises, comprises eight teams and features a mix of top Australian cricketers and international players.

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"We know there are incredibly passionate cricket fans all over India, but particularly in Chennai. Everyone we've spoken to has been really optimistic that we should expect a good crowd," NDTV quoted Alistair Dobson, CA's executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, as saying to reporters.

“What has become clear to us as we've built this event out is just how popular the BBL already is in India. It's got nothing on the IPL, obviously, but the BBL is well-liked and respected. We can't wait to see all the fans turn out, albeit I suspect there'll be a fair chunk of yellow in the crowd," he added.

The match will be a home game for the Renegades, and both teams would be given extra time to return to Australia before their next matches, NDTV said.

‘G’ Day Namaste festivities

Albanese, in a press release, said the match will be a “cornerstone” of a week-long festival called ‘G’Day Namaste festival that will be held across India in December and witness Australian cultural, business and sports events.

During the event at the MCG, the two prime ministers were also accompanied by Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan, ODI World Cup-winning former men's captain Steve Waugh and women's skipper Lisa Sthalekar.

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“The visit underscored the growing importance of sports, cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties as pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the MEA said.

Joint roadmap for sports

At the cricket stadium, the prime ministers also shared a joint roadmap on sports cooperation. Albanese in the press release said the roadmap aims to leverage Australia’s experience and India’s ambitions to “host major sporting events, creating opportunities to increase our trade, tourism, and investment ties”.

He said the blueprint will help both countries strengthen cooperation ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Australia in 2032 and the Commonwealth Games in India in 2030.

As per the roadmap, an India-Australia Youth Sports Festival will also be organised.

Modi congratulates women’s team

Addressing the gathering, Modi highlighted the unique role of sports in bringing people together and noted that the roadmap will enable the two countries to diversify their sporting partnership.

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Modi congratulated Australia for winning the women's cricket World Cup. He also noted that India and Australia were together entering a significant decade in international sports, with India hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia hosting the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.

He emphasized that these developments create natural opportunities for closer bilateral cooperation in sports and associated industries.