The Perth Scorchers are set to make Big Bash League history when they take on the Melbourne Renegades in the competition’s first-ever match played outside Australia.
The landmark KFC BBL|16 opener will be played at Chennai’s iconic M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, 12 December, putting Australian cricket and Western Australia in front of a huge international audience.
The match was promoted during a Western Australian showcase in Mumbai, where Premier Roger Cook announced a new partnership between the Perth Scorchers and the Cook Labor Government’s global State of Energy campaign.
Cook said the historic fixture represented an opportunity for both Western Australia and Chennai.
“Having the Big Bash League hold its first ever international match with the Perth Scorchers is both an enormous opportunity for WA and for our fantastic host city Chennai,” Cook said.
He said the popularity of cricket in India had been evident during his trade and investment mission and highlighted the importance of strengthening economic relationships with countries in Australia’s time zone.
“India is one of Western Australia’s largest trading partners and missions such as this provide invaluable face-to-face opportunities which grow relationships and showcase what our great State has to offer on an international stage,” Cook said.
The campaign promotes Western Australia’s industries, investment opportunities and strengths to international audiences.
Cook was also presented with a signature Scorchers jersey during the Mumbai event, which showcased WA’s investment, tourism and creative industries to international stakeholders.
The Scorchers-Renegades clash is expected to attract significant attention in India, with live coverage across the Seven Network and Fox Cricket in Australia and JioStar in India.
The match will allow the Scorchers to showcase the club and Western Australia to an international cricket audience while strengthening sporting and cultural links between Australia and India.
The Perth Scorchers enter the 2026 BBL season with six KFC BBL titles, making them the competition’s most successful franchise.
WA Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti said cricket provided an opportunity to deepen the longstanding relationship between Australia and India.
“Taking the Scorchers to Chennai is a great opportunity to strengthen those connections and bring Western Australia even closer to one of the world’s great cricketing nations,” Saffioti said.
The Scorchers’ historic Chennai fixture forms part of a broader WA Government trade and investment push through India and Vietnam, focused on energy transition, tourism, aviation, primary industries, skills and training.
Cook said the government was seeking to use stronger international trade and investment relationships to support local employment and economic opportunities in Western Australia.
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