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Melbourne Renegades logo [Source: AFP]
Hayley Matthews, the world’s No. 1 all-rounder, is set to return to the Melbourne Renegades for WBBL 12 after missing the previous season due to an injury.
Matthews was a central figure in the Renegades’ WBBL 10 title-winning campaign and will now rejoin a squad that already has several established names.
Her comeback gives Melbourne another genuine match-winner who can alter games with both bat and ball, while also bringing back a player who knows exactly what it takes to win a title with the franchise.
Why was Hayley Matthews absent from the previous WBBL season?
Matthews’ absence from WBBL 11 was not a result of a loss of form or a change in her franchise commitments. Instead, the West Indies star was forced to step away after suffering a shoulder injury while fielding during an ODI against England.
The injury required surgery, but Hayley Matthews initially delayed the procedure so she could honour her international commitments and feature in the Caribbean Premier League. The operation was subsequently scheduled for later in the year, meaning she could not take part in the following WBBL season.
That made her return to the Renegades particularly significant. Matthews had finished her previous WBBL campaign in Melbourne colours on a high, contributing 324 runs at an average of 40.50 and a strike rate of 130.64 in 10 matches during WBBL 10. She also claimed 14 wickets at an impressive average of 17.78.
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World's No. 1 all-rounder back for WBBL biz
Matthews is returning to the WBBL not merely as a proven franchise star, but as the No. 1 all-rounder in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings. She first climbed to the summit on October 3, 2023, after a world-record eight consecutive T20I Player of the Match awards, and has since repeatedly reclaimed the position.
Her latest return to No. 1 came during the 2026 T20 World Cup after a strong showing against New Zealand. As of August 31, Matthews leads the rankings with 502 rating points, comfortably ahead of New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu in the 2nd and 3rd position respectively.
The ranking exclusively reflects Matthews’ ability to shape T20I matches in both disciplines. That dual threat now comes back to the Renegades, giving Melbourne a player who arrives in the WBBL with the distinction of being the best-ranked T20I all-rounder in the world.
Matthews to become a big boost for Renegades
The biggest value of Hayley Matthews’ return may lie in the balance she gives Melbourne rather than in any single statistical category.
The Renegades already have Sophie Molineux, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Georgia Wareham and Courtney Webb among the players currently forming their squad.
There is plenty of domestic experience in that group, but Matthews adds a proven overseas all-rounder who can influence a match in two separate disciplines.
“Winning the championship with the Renegades was such a special experience and I'm really looking forward to being part of the group again,” Matthews said.
Her batting gives Melbourne another player capable of accelerating an innings without requiring a long period of settling in. Her bowling, meanwhile, provides captain Sophie Molineux with an additional option when match-ups or conditions demand a change.
More importantly, she has already been part of a Melbourne Renegades side that went all the way. The WBBL 10 title was the first women's championship in the club's history, and Hayley Matthews was an important contributor to that achievement.
Renegades head coach Gavan Twining also knows the difference Matthews can make. “Hayley is a world-class cricketer and we know the impact she can have on a team, both with the bat and ball,” Twining said.
What have Matthews' recent franchise numbers looked like?
Matthews arrives back in the WBBL after another busy stretch of franchise cricket, although her recent returns have been mixed rather than overwhelmingly dominant.
In the 2026 edition of The Hundred Women, Matthews represented MI London Women and finished with 126 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 124.75. Her highest score was 33, while she also contributed 10 wickets across the tournament.
She has also begun her 2026 WCPL campaign for Barbados Tridents. In the opening match against Trinbago Knight Riders on September 6, Hayley Matthews scored 19 from 13 deliveries and returned bowling figures of 2/26.
If looked at from a wider perspective, across 34 WPL appearances for Mumbai Indians Women, Matthews has scored 867 runs at a strike rate of 121.94 and taken 46 wickets. In The Hundred, she has accumulated 921 runs and 49 wickets from 41 matches.
Her WBBL record is equally revealing. Across 94 matches, Matthews has scored 1,697 runs and taken 77 wickets. Her best individual figures in the competition stand at 5/19.
For the Renegades, Matthews has scored 832 runs across her listed WBBL campaigns, including three fifties, while taking 37 wickets.
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