Big news coming in from Australia suggests a massive tweak to the upcoming season of the Big Bash League (BBL), Australia's premier T20 competition. According to noted Australian sports journalist Tom Morris, Cricket Australia is planning to shift the BBL to India for tapping into the mega market. But, hold on, there is a twist to this.
The entire tournament will not be shifted. As of now, CA are only planning to hold the tournament opener in India. Why just one game in a season that spans more than 40 games is anybody's guess at this point. This plan from CA comes after a series of reports that have revealed possible entry of IPL owners into the BBL.
Currently, CA's plan is a far-fetched task but as it's only a matter of one game, it might well go ahead. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) needs to approve this request but it alone cannot take the decision. All the responsible stakeholders will also have to agree to the proposal.
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Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades are the two BBL franchises that have allegedly sparked interest from IPL owners. Since last summer, CA has actively been pursuing investments from outside the country with an obvious hope of snapping an IPL connection. Like The Hundred where a few teams already have an IPL presence now, BBL also would ideally want the same presence to boost their brand value.
The 2025-26 BBL season had 44 games including the play-offs and final. If this plan of playing the tournament opener in India goes through, there could be more innovative strategies in the pipeline.
