BBL 2023-24

The marquee tournament of Cricket Australia, Big Bash League (BBL) is all set to return for its 13th edition on December 7 as Brisbane Heat will host Melbourne Stars at the Gabba in the opening clash. A new format has been designed for the upcoming tournament as the organizing committee has decided to shorten the tournament to 44 matches only, which includes four knockout matches. 

Earlier, the top five teams from the BBL Points Table used to qualify for the knockouts but under the new guidelines, only the top four teams will move to the next round. Teams finishing on the first and the second spot will take on each other in the Qualifier on January 19 for direct passage into the Final. On the other hand, the third and fourth-ranked teams face off in the Knockout. The winner of the Knockout match will then play the loser of the Qualifier in the Challenger on January 22. 

Later on, the winner of the Challenger and the winner of the Qualifier will take on each other in the final of the competition, which is slated to take place on January 24.

Meanwhile, the tournament will once again clash with Australia’s international calendar. Teams like West Indies and Pakistan will be travelling for a Test series that is part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and thus, many of the national stars will be missing the upcoming edition of the BBL. 

Over the years, Big Bash has produced multiple thrilling encounters and kept the fans on the edge of their seats every single season. Notably, Perth Scorchers with five titles to their name is at the top of the BBL Winners List while Sydney Sixers with three stands right behind them. 

The upcoming edition is expected to entertain in a similar fashion as all the teams will be raring to go from the very first match as the number of matches they’ll play has dropped significantly. Meanwhile, the teams have already started packing their wolfs for the forthcoming season as Hobart Hurricanes have extended the contracts of two destructive batters, Ben McDermott and Tim David while Adam Zampa and Sam Harper have already switched sides.