Australia’s women’s T20 summer is almost here. The 12th season of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL|12) opens with a double-header at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on 29 October 2026 and builds to the Final on 5 December. That is eight clubs, eight grounds and 43 matches squeezed into 38 days, with a defending champion that had never even reached a final until last December.
This edition has a different feel. Cricket Australia scrapped the overseas player draft in August, so clubs built their lists through direct signings for the first time since 2022. Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani have retired, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is sitting the season out, and Brisbane Heat arrive trying to bury the first winless campaign in WBBL history. Hobart Hurricanes, meanwhile, want to become the first Hurricanes side to win back-to-back Big Bash titles.
Season: WBBL|12 (Women’s Big Bash League 2026-27)
Dates: 29 October – 5 December 2026
Teams: 8
Matches: 43 (40 regular-season games plus 3 finals)
Format: Every club plays 10 league games. The top four enter a stepladder finals series: the Knockout (3rd vs 4th, 1 December), the Challenger (Knockout winner vs 2nd, 3 December) and the Final (hosted by the side that finishes 1st, 5 December)
Venues: Eight grounds across six states, led by Junction Oval in Melbourne with 10 matches
Defending champions: Hobart Hurricanes
Match timings (IST): Most night games start at 1:40 PM IST and most afternoon games at 10:10 AM IST, with a handful of early-morning weekend starts
Where to watch in India: Chaska99 Website and Chaska99 App
Women's Big Bash League 2026 at a Glance
Hobart start as champions, but three clubs have new head coaches and two needed new captains over the winter. Every side plays the other seven at least once across 10 league games, and only the top four survive into December.
A Quick Look at WBBL History
The WBBL began in 2015-16 and has produced seven different champions in 11 seasons. No club has built a dynasty, and Melbourne Stars remain the only side yet to lift the trophy.
The last two finals show how quickly a title can swing. In WBBL|10, Melbourne Renegades edged Brisbane Heat by seven runs on DLS at the MCG, a year after finishing last. Then in WBBL|11, Hobart Hurricanes held Perth Scorchers to 137/5, with Linsey Smith taking 2-8, before Lizelle Lee smashed an unbeaten 77 off 44 balls. Hobart got home by eight wickets with five overs to spare, and Lee’s knock became the highest individual score in a WBBL final.
WBBL Roll of Honour (2015-16 to 2025-26)
What eleven seasons actually tell us
- – Nobody holds the trophy for long. Four clubs have two titles each, and only the Sixers, Heat and Strikers have ever defended one. Back-to-back winners are the exception, which is exactly what Hobart are up against.
- – First place is worth fighting for. The last three titles all went to the side that topped the table and hosted the Final. Finishing first means skipping the Knockout and Challenger and playing the decider at home.
- – Last place is not a life sentence. The Renegades went from bottom in WBBL|09 to champions in WBBL|10. That is the precedent Brisbane will lean on after going 0-9 last season.
- – Rain and fine margins move the table. The WBBL|10 Final was settled on DLS. Adelaide missed last season’s finals after three no-results and two one-run defeats.
WBBL 2026 Teams and Squads
The Sixers and Scorchers have the deepest mix of local and overseas talent on paper, while Thunder still had overseas spots to fill at last report. Hobart also have a hidden advantage: Lizelle Lee now plays as a local after gaining Australian residency, so she does not use an overseas slot.
Lists are as reported by the clubs up to early October. Squads can still change before 29 October, so always check the confirmed XI before a match.
Reading the schedule
- – Melbourne is the centre of gravity. Junction Oval hosts 10 games, including the opening double-header under its new floodlights and both Melbourne derbies on 22 and 28 November. The Melbourne Mace is on the line in the WBBL for the first time.
- – Home advantage is back. Only four games are at neutral venues, down from seven last season, and 25 games sit in prime time. Home form should count for more than it did in WBBL|11.
- – Indian viewers get friendly slots. Most games land at 10:10 AM or 1:40 PM IST. Set an alarm for the early ones: Sixers vs Renegades on 15 November starts at 5:30 AM IST.
- – Perth hit the road early. After their Halloween opener at the WACA, the Scorchers play three games in seven days in Melbourne and Sydney. A slow start there could leave them chasing.
- – The final weekend is stacked. Both derbies fall on 28 November, the regular season closes with an Adelaide double-header on 29 November, and the Knockout follows just two days later.
The Big Storylines Before WBBL|12
The draft is gone
Cricket Australia scrapped the overseas player draft in late August and returned to an open market, the system used before 2022. Clubs no longer have to sign any overseas players.
Most clubs used the freedom to bring back familiar faces: Wyatt-Hodge, Dunkley, Matthews, Dottin, Knight and Ecclestone all return. England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn became the first overseas player signed under the new system when she rejoined the Heat for the full season.
Big names missing
This season loses some of the league’s best-known players. Alyssa Healy has retired after 129 WBBL matches and 3,125 runs for the Sixers, and Elyse Villani walked away straight after captaining Hobart to the title. Nat Sciver-Brunt will rest after an injury-hit English summer.
Marizanne Kapp, who had played in all 11 previous WBBL seasons, opted out of her final Stars year to focus on South Africa. That points to a wider risk: South Africa’s tour of India starts on 9 December, so Proteas players may not see out the season. Fatima Sana is also contracted for only Perth’s first eight games.
Venue and Conditions Guide
Eight grounds share 40 league games, and Melbourne’s Junction Oval carries the biggest load. Its new lights make it the great unknown of the season.
What the conditions are likely to do
- Junction Oval nights are a blank page. Nobody has WBBL data from this ground under lights, so the opening double-header on 29 October is your first real read on par scores.
- Sydney’s small grounds reward hitters. North Sydney and Drummoyne host 12 games between them. Clean strikers such as Wyatt-Hodge, Dottin, Gardner and Matthews should enjoy them.
- Perth rewards pace and bounce. The WACA suits tall quicks and wrist-spinners who get the ball to kick, which plays into Alana King’s hands on home turf.
- Day and night are different games. Afternoon matches in warm spring sun usually favour batting. Under lights in Melbourne and Hobart, cooler air can help the new ball move.
Weather watch
Australian spring is unpredictable, and rain has already shaped recent seasons. The WBBL|10 Final was decided on DLS, and the Strikers had three no-results last season, two of them washouts. Watch the radar for Brisbane and Sydney afternoon storms; a washout gives each side one point, and shortened games favour power over patience.
Players to Watch at WBBL 2026
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Hobart Hurricanes) – Hobart’s top scorer in their title run, with 432 runs at an average of 48, a strike rate of 144 and four fifties. With Sciver-Brunt absent, even more of the batting rests on her.
Lizelle Lee (Hobart Hurricanes) – Owner of the highest score in a WBBL final and the first player to hit centuries in consecutive WBBL matches. Now classed as a local, she gives Hobart an opener with overseas firepower at no overseas cost.
Beth Mooney (Perth Scorchers) – Named in the WBBL Team of the Tournament for a ninth time last season, and her 76 off 44 balls won the Challenger. She is the most reliable run source in the competition.
Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades) – The world’s top-ranked T20I allrounder is back after missing WBBL|11 with shoulder surgery. In the Renegades’ title season she scored 324 runs and took 14 wickets, and she won the ICC Player of the Month award for July 2026.
Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers) – The Sixers’ leading run-scorer last season, which included the third WBBL century of her career. She still holds the record for most runs in a single WBBL season, 778 in WBBL|04.
Georgia Wareham (Melbourne Renegades) – Captain of last season’s Team of the Tournament after a standout all-round campaign. Her leg-spin alongside Matthews and Molineux gives the Renegades the most varied attack in the league.
Phoebe Litchfield (Sydney Thunder) – Thunder’s young captain also made last season’s Team of the Tournament. With Athapaththu gone, she and Georgia Voll must carry the top order.
Annabel Sutherland (Melbourne Stars) – The Stars’ captain loses all-round partner Marizanne Kapp, so expect her to bowl the tough overs and bat high. Meg Lanning alongside her makes the Stars dangerous on their night.
Sophie Ecclestone (Adelaide Strikers) – England’s left-arm spinner returns for a second Adelaide season. Paired with Amanda-Jade Wellington, she gives the Strikers the best spin pair in the league.
Fatima Sana (Perth Scorchers) – Pakistan’s captain has 540 T20I runs at a strike rate near 150 and 31 wickets in 2026 alone. She is only the second Pakistani woman in WBBL history, but she is available for Perth’s first eight games only.
Orla Prendergast (Brisbane Heat) – Named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup after 181 runs and six wickets. She bats in the top order and bowls with pace, exactly what a rebuilding Heat side needs.
Chaska Bhai Tips & Predictions
- Check availability before every bet. Fatima Sana leaves Perth after eight games, South African players may head home early for the India tour, and Thunder were still filling overseas spots at last report. Wait for the confirmed XIs.
- Treat the opening weekend as homework. Three new head coaches, two new captains and Junction Oval under lights are all unknowns. Seven games at five venues between 29 October and 1 November will tell you more than last season’s numbers.
- Respect home advantage. With only four neutral games, clubs play far more at home than last season. Hobart at Ninja Stadium and Perth at the WACA are the toughest trips in the league.
- Factor in the weather. For afternoon games in Brisbane and Sydney, check the radar before backing anything. Rain-shortened games reward big hitters and cut the value of slow-building innings.
- Follow the openers in top-batter markets. Openers played the defining innings in each of the last two finals, Lee in WBBL|11 and Matthews in WBBL|10. Mooney, Wyatt-Hodge, Lee, Perry, Dunkley, Wolvaardt and Litchfield are the names to track.
Dark horses to watch
Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat. The Renegades missed the finals last season without Matthews; with her and Dottin back beside Molineux and Wareham, they look like the side that won it all two years ago. The Heat went winless, but the Renegades showed in 2024-25 that last to first can happen in one season, and Prendergast, Glenn and Lucy Hamilton give them fresh energy.
Predicted finalists
Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes. The Sixers have the deepest top order in the league in Perry, Dunkley, Kerr, Capsey and Gardner, and they were one win from the Final last year. Hobart kept almost all of their title-winning core, still open with Lee and Wyatt-Hodge, and added Chinelle Henry’s power.
Predicted champion
Sydney Sixers are our pick to win a third title, and their first since 2017-18. Their batting depth, three genuine allrounders and a strong seam group make them the most complete side on paper. The case against: they have no specialist wicketkeeper after Healy’s exit, a new coach in Peter Clarke, and the team finishing top has won the last three titles. That is why this is a prediction, not a promise.
Final Takeaway for Fans & Bettors
WBBL|12 packs 43 games into 38 days and is the first season of the league’s new open-market era. Hobart defend their maiden title, the Sixers look the most complete side on paper, and the Renegades and Heat have the tools to upset the order.
Use the opening weekend to learn the new conditions, check every team sheet, and keep an eye on the weather in Brisbane and Sydney. Enjoy the best women’s T20 league in the world, and always bet responsibly.
