Australia and India have taken their sporting relationship to a new level, announcing that the opening match of the 2026–27 Men’s Big Bash League (BBL) season will be played in Chennai this December—the first time a foreign cricket league has staged a match in India.
The historic announcement was made by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the two leaders also launched a new Australia–India Roadmap on Sport Cooperation aimed at expanding collaboration in sport, trade, tourism, research and major international events.
The season-opening clash between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will headline a week-long G’Day Namaste festival across India, showcasing Australian sport, culture and business while promoting the objectives of Australia’s economic engagement strategy with India.
Prime Minister Albanese described sport as one of the strongest foundations of the bilateral relationship. “Australia and India are united by our love and passion for sport,” he said.
“This sports roadmap will focus on practical priority areas such as capability building, technology and research to strengthen this cornerstone of our bilateral relationship.”
Addressing the media alongside Albanese, Prime Minister Modi said cricket had long united the two nations but the new partnership would extend well beyond the game. “Sports are a strong pillar of the India–Australia friendship,” Modi said.
“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.”
Modi welcomed the decision to bring the Big Bash League to India, saying it would enjoy enormous popularity.
“For any sporting league, staging an event in India guarantees tremendous reach and viewership.”
Indian-origin Australian cricket great Lisa Sthalekar shared a special moment with Modi and Albanese during their Melbourne meeting, as Australia and India unveiled a new roadmap to deepen sports cooperation.
Sharing her experience on social media, Sthalekar said it was a rare opportunity to meet both leaders and revealed she was able to speak some Gujarati — a language taught to her by her father and grandmother.
“It isn’t very often that you get to meet both Prime Ministers,” Sthalekar wrote, adding that she also discovered Prime Minister Modi’s favourite dish is khichuri.
The former Australian captain welcomed the new Australia–India Sports Cooperation Roadmap, saying she was excited to see both countries work together to expand sporting ties.
The new roadmap outlines cooperation in sports science, technology, athlete development, industry partnerships and major event planning as Australia prepares for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and India gears up to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games while pursuing its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.
Education, research and commercial partnerships are also expected to benefit from the agreement, with the roadmap designed to boost trade, tourism and investment alongside sporting exchanges.
Speaking at the MCG, Albanese highlighted the growing popularity of Australian Rules football in India, noting participation had expanded from around 150 players a few years ago to more than 10,000 across 11 Indian states.
He also praised the increasing exchange of sporting expertise between the two countries, describing the partnership as extending well beyond elite competition.
The Australian Government said the initiative forms part of its broader strategy to deepen economic engagement with India by leveraging sport as a platform for business, innovation and people-to-people connections.
The announcement adds another significant milestone to the expanding Australia–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with the two countries unveiling a series of agreements during Prime Minister Modi’s official visit covering defence, education, technology, culture and economic cooperation.
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