T20 · Franchise league

Big Bash League

Australia's summer T20 league.

First held 2011
15 editions
Reigning: Perth Scorchers
Annual

Overview

The Big Bash League (BBL) is Australia's professional men's Twenty20 franchise league, established by Cricket Australia in 2011 and played annually between December and February. Perth Scorchers are the most successful team with six titles, the latest in 2025-26.

Cricket Australia launched the state-based Twenty20 Big Bash in 2005-06, contested by the six Sheffield Shield teams. It was the first top-level domestic Twenty20 competition in Australia and ran until 2010-11.

In July 2011 Cricket Australia announced a franchise competition, the Big Bash League, to replace it, with eight city-based teams instead of six state sides. The first season was played in 2011-12 and was won by the Sydney Sixers, who beat the Perth Scorchers in the final at the WACA Ground.

The league has grown from 28 group matches in its first season to a 40-match regular season from 2023-24, and its finals format has moved between knockout, five-team and four-team playoff systems. Fifteen seasons had been completed by the end of 2025-26, with the Scorchers winning six titles; every team except the Melbourne Stars has won at least one.

How it works

Eight city-based franchises play a regular season of 40 matches, with each team playing ten games, before the top four teams advance to the finals. The finals use a double-chance structure: a Qualifier (first v second), a Knockout (third v fourth), a Challenger (Qualifier loser v Knockout winner) and the Final. Matches are Twenty20 and the Power Surge, a two-over second powerplay, has been used since 2020-21.

Who has won it most?

Titles won by each team across all 15 editions.

Perth Scorchers 6 titles

2025-26, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2016-17, 2014-15, 2013-14
Sydney Sixers 3 titles

2020-21, 2019-20, 2011-12
Brisbane Heat 2 titles

2023-24, 2012-13
Sydney Thunder 1 title

2015-16
Adelaide Strikers 1 title

2017-18
Melbourne Renegades 1 title

2018-19
Hobart Hurricanes 1 title

2024-25

Winners by year

Newest first.

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Host	Result
2025-26	Perth Scorchers	Sydney Sixers	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 6 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Sam Harper (Melbourne Stars)Scorchers' sixth title; record BBL final attendance of 55,018.
2024-25	Hobart Hurricanes	Sydney Thunder	Australia	Hobart Hurricanes won by 7 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Cooper Connolly (Perth Scorchers) and Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars), joint awardHurricanes' maiden title.
2023-24	Brisbane Heat	Sydney Sixers	Australia	Brisbane Heat won by 54 runsPlayer of the tournament: Matthew Short (Adelaide Strikers)Heat's second title.
2022-23	Perth Scorchers	Brisbane Heat	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 5 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Matthew Short (Adelaide Strikers)Scorchers' fifth title and back-to-back win.
2021-22	Perth Scorchers	Sydney Sixers	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 79 runsPlayer of the tournament: Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes)Scorchers' fourth title; final held at a neutral venue. Sixers were bowled out for 92.
2020-21	Sydney Sixers	Perth Scorchers	Australia	Sydney Sixers won by 27 runsPlayer of the tournament: Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers)Sixers' third title.
2019-20	Sydney Sixers	Melbourne Stars	Australia	Sydney Sixers won by 19 runsPlayer of the tournament: Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)Sixers' second title; the final was a reduced 12-overs-a-side match.
2018-19	Melbourne Renegades	Melbourne Stars	Australia	Melbourne Renegades won by 13 runsPlayer of the tournament: D'Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes)Renegades' first title, in the all-Melbourne final.
2017-18	Adelaide Strikers	Hobart Hurricanes	Australia	Adelaide Strikers won by 25 runsPlayer of the tournament: D'Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes)Strikers' first title.
2016-17	Perth Scorchers	Sydney Sixers	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 9 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)Scorchers' third title.
2015-16	Sydney Thunder	Melbourne Stars	Australia	Sydney Thunder won by 3 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)Thunder's first title.
2014-15	Perth Scorchers	Sydney Sixers	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 4 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Jacques Kallis (Sydney Thunder)Scorchers' second title and back-to-back win; final held at a neutral venue.
2013-14	Perth Scorchers	Hobart Hurricanes	Australia	Perth Scorchers won by 39 runsPlayer of the tournament: Ben Dunk (Hobart Hurricanes)Scorchers' first title.
2012-13	Brisbane Heat	Perth Scorchers	Australia	Brisbane Heat won by 34 runsPlayer of the tournament: Aaron Finch (Melbourne Renegades)Heat's first title.
2011-12	Sydney Sixers	Perth Scorchers	Australia	Sydney Sixers won by 7 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: David Hussey (Melbourne Stars)Inaugural season; Sixers' first title.

Records & facts

Most titles: Perth Scorchers (6): 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2025-26
Most career runs: Chris Lynn, 4,133 (to January 2026)
Most career wickets: Sean Abbott, 186 (to January 2026)
Highest individual score: Glenn Maxwell, 154* for Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes (19 January 2022)
Best bowling figures: Lasith Malinga, 6/7 for Melbourne Stars v Perth Scorchers (12 December 2012)
Highest team total: Melbourne Stars, 2/273 v Hobart Hurricanes (19 January 2022)
Lowest team total: Sydney Thunder, 15 v Adelaide Strikers (16 December 2022)
Highest partnership: Matt Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth, 212 for Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers (19 December 2025)
Most dismissals as wicketkeeper: Josh Philippe, 110 (to January 2026)
Most matches: Moises Henriques, 154 (to January 2026)