It took seven seasons for BBL to follow IPL

Big Bash League (BBL) has been Australia’s premier T20 tournament ever since its inaugural season thanks to the participation of the renowned international players and the way Cricket Australia (CA) has organised it. It is one of the most followed T20 leagues after the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, CA has decided to follow IPL and has introduced the home and away format in the upcoming edition of the BBL.

In the last season, a total of eight teams competed across 40 matches after which Adelaide Strikers secured their first title under the leadership of Travis Head. According to the new format, every team will face each other twice, home and away, which will take the number of league matches to 56. The same format is followed in the IPL ever since its inception back in 2008.

Season to begin on December 19

The eighth season of the BBL is all set to kick off on December 19 and the new format will lead to the increased duration of the tournament. The tournament will now run for 61 days, unlike the previous years when it used to conclude only in 48 days. New venues have also been announced for the annual domestic competition as Kim McConnie, the Head of the competition, explained the reason behind introducing the new format.

“The objective of moving the BBL to a full home and away fixture is consistent with Cricket Australia’s strategy of growing the Big Bash and becoming number one for fans across Australia. With more games, in more locations, we believe this is going to be one of the most exciting, action-packed BBL seasons to-date,” he was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

The schedule of the tournament has also been announced as Brisbane Heat will lock horns against the defending champions Adelaide Strikers at the iconic Gabba Stadium. The final will be played on February 17, 2019, which will conclude a long season.

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