Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland and Perth Scorchers skipper Aston Turner pose with the BBL trophy.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Chennai’s iconic M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is synonymous with IPL side Chennai Super Kings. But in less than three months, the venue will gear up for another marquee T20 league, hosting the season-opening fixture of the 16th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) on December 12.
The game between defending champion Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades is part of the ‘G’day Namaste’ week-long celebration of India-Australia bilateral ties.
Ahead of this landmark game — announced by the Prime Ministers of India (Narendra Modi) and Australia (Anthony Albanese) earlier this year in Melbourne — Phil Rigby, head of league operations and club growth at BBL, promised fans in Chennai an authentic Big Bash experience.
“We want to bring our authentic Big Bash experience that our fans enjoy at the MCG or SCG or anywhere else,” Rigby said at a media event here on Thursday.
“There are certain rules in a Big Bash game that differ from the IPL. For example, no one has ever seen the Power Surge in India before. We are bringing a brand new rule this year: our designated hitter/designated fielder rule,” he added.
Rigby, accompanied by Scorchers coach Adam Voges, players Jhye Richardson (Scorchers) and Brendan Doggett (Renegades), also added that the league will look to incorporate Chennai’s culture to make it a wholesome experience.
“If you have watched on television, all those good things like the bucket heads, all the colour, and all the different moments in a game, we will be bringing those. Another part is how we can find those Chennai flavours and bring them into the game day, almost paying homage to the community,” Rigby explained.
Doggett, who made his international debut last year against England in the Ashes, remarked that he was looking forward to playing in front of passionate fans here. “We see it on TV with the IPL, so hopefully we can get a similar atmosphere and put on a good performance. Walking through the changing rooms here, you see the history this ground has; it feels really special,” said Doggett.
Meanwhile, Richardson said he would lean on his IPL experience to help his teammates. “The stadiums are always packed out and super loud, so hopefully we can recreate something with that here. I think [with] my experience in the IPL, it is about telling the young guys who come here to research defensive strategies and make sure they understand their plan for death bowling here. It’s usually quite difficult for the bowlers”.
Published – September 17, 2026 06:38 pm IST
