Melbourne Renegades Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League. Image Credits: X
Cricket Australia has made a huge shakeup in the Big Bash League setup; the two biggest franchises in the BBL's history are set to be obliterated from existence, as per journalist Tom Morris from SEN.
Morris stated that on Tuesday, the shocking decision to combine the Stars and the Renegades into a single Victorian team to play at the MCG was communicated to Cricket Victoria staff.
Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars are two of the most famous BBL franchises, and with this new move, they will be merged to form a single new team. There are also doubts whether the two teams will play in the upcoming season of the Big Bash League.
Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Renegades are one-time BBL winners, having won the title in BBL 08. They are currently coached by Cameron White and captained by Will Sutherland in the Big Bash League. Aaron Finch was the longest tenured captain of the Renegades and also led them to their only BBL title.
Melbourne Stars have been runners-up thrice in the BBL tournament in the 2015-16, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons. In the last BBL season, Marcus Stoinis was the captain of the Stars, and Peter Moores was the head coach of the franchise.
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Renegades and Stars to merge to form a single Victorian team in the Big Bash League
According to sports journalist Tom Morris, the two Victorian teams, Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades, are set to be merged to form a single Victorian team in the Big Bash League. This development was shared by Morris on X on June 2, 2026.
The staffs of the two franchises were informed by Cricket Victoria on Tuesday, and this is touted as part of Cricket Australia’s major revamp of the T20 competition. He also revealed a single brand team from Victoria will be made, which will play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and wear navy blue colors.
“Today was the end of the @StarsBBL and the @RenegadesBBL as we know them. Staff were informed the Stars & the Renegades are merging into one brand new Victorian franchise to play at the MCG & likely wear navy blue. The club will be called the Melbourne (insert nickname), but it won't be the Stars. Cricket Victoria has committed to selling its second license entirely,” Morris posted on X.
Doubts whether Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars are playing in BBL 2026-27
This news has confirmed that CV CEO Nick Cummins made the shocking revelation to the workers on Tuesday afternoon at Junction Oval, as initially reported by SEN Radio. Since Cricket Australia has not yet achieved a deal about the sale of stakes, it is unclear if both teams will still play in the BBL this season.
The future of players from both teams, whose lists were nearing finalization for the 2026–2027 competition, is equally uncertain.
The Renegades and the Stars, two teams from Melbourne, had a rivalry and faced off twice in the Melbourne Derby each regular season. A record 80,883 people attended the first leg of the two derbies at the MCG during the 2015–16 season.
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