Big Bash League has been highly competitive, and in the past twelve seasons, we have seen six winners. While some sides have dominated, it is an uphill challenge to pick who will win the Big Bash League right before the start of the tournament. However, it is worth looking back at the teams' performances in the league's history. Here's how the teams have performed so far -
# Brisbane Heat
It was a much-deserved title for Usman Khawaja's side last season. They finished runner-up in 2022-23 but got their hands at the trophy last year with consistent performances throughout the season. They topped the points table in the league stage and put up a dominating show in the final against the Sydney Sixers. Khawaja would want his players to draw inspiration from the last season and make a steady start this season. Tom Alsop, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Josh Brown, and Xavier Bartlett are key team players and will look to deliver the goods. While they don't start as the top contender for the title on cricket betting sites, the team has shown how they can surprise any opposition in the last two seasons.
Squad - Usman Khawaja (c), Tom Alsop, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Paul Walter, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood
# Sydney Sixers
The Sixers lost in the final last season. It was the third season in a row where the team came close to winning the title but failed in the final hurdle. They have been the most consistent team in the last six seasons, making it to the Top 4. Skipper Moises Henriques has been at the helm for a while and shall look to end the three-season wait for their fourth BBL title. They have good players like Sean Abbott, Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes, and James Vince. Henriques likes leading from the front, and he will look to guide his team to another title. The Sixers have the right balance in both departments and shall be one of the teams to watch out for.
Squad - Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Jafer Chohan, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, James Vince, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc
# Perth Scorchers
The Scorchers are the most successful team in this tournament's history, with five titles. They came close to winning another one last season, only to lose in the Knockout game. Ashton Turner has led the team to two title wins and shall aim to have another under his captaincy. They have a talented squad with players like Aaron Hardie, Lance Morris, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Andrew Tye, and Jason Behrendorff. These players can win games on their own. Ashton Turner wants his team to start the season strongly and carry the form forward. They have the resources with the bat to go the distance and start favorites on cricket betting apps.
Squad - Ashton Turner (c), Ashton Agar, Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Matthew Hurst, Josh Inglis, Keaton Jennings, Matt Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Bryce Jackson
# Adelaide Strikers
The Strikers made it to the Challenger game last season but couldn't proceed further. They have made it to the playoffs four times in the last five seasons but have failed to pull up their socks in crunch games. Matthew Short takes over the captaincy from Travis Head for this season, and he shall aim to end the seven-season wait for a title. They have all the big guns to win the title, with players like Alex Carey, Jake Weatherald, Fabian Allen and Chris Lynn. The bowling attack is a bit weak for the team, but Short would expect his powerful batting lineup to compensate for it and make a statement this season.
Squad - Matthew Short (c), Fabian Allen, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Ollie Pope, Alex Ross, D'Arcy Short, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald
# Hobart Hurricanes
They had a pretty ordinary season in the last edition, finishing 5th on the points table. The side never recovered from the poor start, and new skipper Matthew Wade would like his team to start the season on a strong note. They are only the second team to have never won a BBL title, along with the Melbourne Stars, and they shall aim to end the long wait this season. They have a star-studded line-up that includes the likes of Ben McDermott, Matthew Tim David, Shai Hope, and Caleb Jewell. The batting lineup had a poor tournament last season, and Wade hopes to see a better performance from his players.
Squad - Matthew Wade (c), Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Shai Hope, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Waqar Salamkheil, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Mac Wright, Marcus Bean
# Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars have never won the title. The last few seasons have been bad for them, with the side finishing 7th, 6th, 8th and 6th on the points table. They have been runner-up thrice but haven't had their moment in the sun. Inconsistency has been the major weakness of this team, which otherwise has big names. Glenn Maxwell has made way for Marcus Stoinis to lead the side for this season. He expects good performances from players like Glenn Maxwell, Beau Webster, Hilton Cartwright, and Tom Curran. They have started poorly in the last few editions, and the Stars’ skipper would look to turn the tables this year.
Squad - Marcus Stoinis (c), Scott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Jon Merlo, Usama Mir, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Doug Warren, Beau Webster, Joe Clarke, Adam Milne
# Melbourne Renegades
The Renegades have been the bottom hunters on the points table in the last few seasons. They finished 7th last season, winning only twice in 10 games. They won the title in 2018-19 but have struggled, barely challenging their opponents. There is no lack of talent in the team, but they have habitually made poor starts and have never recovered from that. Will Sutherland will be at the helm this year and would like to get the best performances from his players. Tim Seifert, Adam Zampa, Marcus Harris, and Jake Fraser-McGurk will be the players to watch out for, and it will be interesting to see if they can turn it around.
Squad - Will Sutherland (c), Jacob Bethell, Josh Brown, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Laurie Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Fergus O'Neill, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Tim Seifert, Jon Wells, Adam Zampa, Hassan Khan
# Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder had their worst BBL season in the last edition. They finished at the bottom of the points table with only one win to take pride in 10 games. The side won the title in 2015-16 and shall look to add one more jewel to the crown in this edition. David Warner comes in as the skipper and brings vast experience. He will look for a good start to put the horrors of the last season behind his players. Cameron Bancroft, Jason Sangha, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, and Sherfane Rutherford would have to play important roles for the side to take on the stronger opponents.
Squad - David Warner (c), Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Sherfane Rutherford, William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Pat Cummins
How to make a Big Bash prediction?
Our betting experts believe BBL is the perfect league for outright betting and they’ve predicted the finalists on many occasions. Nevertheless, the excitement of betting on daily BBL fixtures also has its own place for Big Bash cricket fans.
The big-hitting batsmen in every BBL team in lower order have the capacity to turn the match on its head. And this makes predicting the winner even more exciting.
Today, BBL match prediction attracts the highest number of bets. So, how do you make a Big Bash prediction for the matchwinner?
Here are some of the factors you should consider before making a BBL prediction:
Team Form: Any Big Bash betting site would offer these stats before the start of the game. You can easily compare the team form presented in terms of wins or losses in recent games.
Key Players: Find out who are the in-form players for both teams. Which bowlers are consistently delivering and who are the high-impact batters in the lineup? The team with more consistent and reliable players will have an edge in our experts’ BBL prediction.
Pitch & Venue: Find out all you can about the pitch and venue from any reliable cricket news site. Is it a batting-friendly pitch or does the surface offer seam movement for the pacers? This will help you decide whether toss will play a role in the match.
Player matchups: Matchups are an integral part of any team’s strategy in T20 cricket. To make a sharp BBL prediction, we recommend you get all the player matchup stats to find out which team has the upper hand.
Follow BBL news: Stay up to date with all the latest BBL news so that you don’t miss out on player injuries and other crucial updates. If you ever miss out on any BBL match, watch the BBL highlights to find out how the key players performed in the match.
Always remember to back your Big Bash prediction with stats and research. Never trust anyone who tells you they can give a 100% sure prediction for today’s BBL match.
The T20 action moves to Australia as the Big Bash League 2024-25 kicks off. It is the 14th edition of the tournament and it is expected to get bigger.
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