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2 min readFeb 17, 2026 04:53 PM IST
Steve Smith celebrates his century for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. (Screengrab: X/Big Bash League)
The Australian cricket team might end up booking their flights back home today from the T20 World Cup, but the country’s showpiece cricket league, the Big Bash League, might be headed to India. Cricket Australia is reportedly considering staging next season’s Big Bash League (BBL) opener in India, according to a report in SEN Cricket.
The report said that two senior Cricket Australia staff members — head of business operations Phil Rigby and head of competition development and strategy Margot Harley — were in India to explore the possibility of a city like Chennai hosting a BBL game. This push to hold a BBL game on Indian shores comes amid conversations surrounding the sale of at least two of their eight Big Bash franchises.
The report added that while BBL clubs have not been officially briefed by Cricket Australia about the idea to host a game in India, clubs are “aware” of CA’s desire. The idea, if CA decides to pursue it, will also be contingent upon the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the BBL’s broadcasters giving the go ahead.
First held in 2011, the BBL has become one of the top cricket leagues in the world. Of the eight teams, Perth Scorchers have won six BBL titles. Unlike the BBL’s Indian counterpart, the Indian Premier League, BBL has two cities, Sydney and Melbourne, that have two franchises each, which give rise to local derbies.
Meanwhile, the Australian team finds itself on the cusp of missing out from the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup after their defeat to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in consecutive games. With just two points in their kitty and one final game left, the Australians are currently hoping that today’s game between Zimbabwe and Ireland does not get washed out at the Pallakele International Stadium in Kandy. If the game does get rained out, Zimbabwe will secure a point which will push them into the Super 8 stage and will seal Australia’s elimination from the group stages itself.
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