Now only 7 teams will play in the Big Bash League instead of 8, which franchise will be eliminated before the next season?

Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades Will Merge: Australia’s Big Bash League may see a major change before the 2026-27 season. According to reports, the number of teams in this tournament can be reduced from 8 to 7. Under this proposed change, the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades will merge. Both these franchises are currently under the ownership of Cricket Victoria.

What is the whole plan?

According to reports, Cricket Victoria informed its employees about this merger plan on June 2. It is expected that this joint team will play with the name ‘Melbourne’ instead of ‘Victoria’, because according to the rules of the league, franchises cannot be named after any state. The Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is currently the home ground of the Melbourne Stars, will also be the base for the newly formed team. Former Melbourne Renegades general manager James Rosengarten is expected to be the general manager of the new franchise.

new identity

The identity of this new team formed after the merger will also be completely new. Early indications suggest that the team may wear a navy-blue kit, which will be a mix of the Stars’ green and Renegades’ red colours. According to reports, Cricket Victoria is also working on deciding on a nickname for the team along with ‘Melbourne’ branding.

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What will happen to the players?

This decision is related to Cricket Victoria’s plan to sell the license of Renegades. Reports suggest that around 10 contracted players from the current Melbourne teams could be retained in the new franchise. However, the future of many such players who do not have any contract is still uncertain. According to reports, many of these players had no idea about this change until this news came to light.

When is the important meeting regarding merger?

More clarity is expected in this matter after a meeting to be held on June 15. In this meeting, Cricket Australia’s plans related to privatization of BBL will be discussed. If the sale of the Renegades is not completed before the 2026–27 season, the club is expected to continue playing with its current name, colors and line-up of players. In such a situation, until the new arrangements related to ownership are fully finalized, the functioning of the team will be temporarily overseen by Melbourne Stars General Manager Max Abbott.

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