Cricket Australia Opens Door to Hosting IPL Matches in Australia Amid India Ties

The development comes weeks after it was confirmed that the opening match of the 2026-27 Big Bash League (BBL) season between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will be staged in Chennai. The fixture will become the first official BBL match to be played outside Australia, marking a major step towards strengthening cricket’s commercial presence in India, the sport’s biggest market.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson said the board continues to work closely with India and other International Cricket Council (ICC) partners to support the growth of the game.

“Australian Cricket works collaboratively with all our ICC partners including India for the good of the game. We acknowledge the strong economic impact India has on cricket and how the Indian team's touring schedule, particularly, benefits other ICC member nations through increased broadcast revenue,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia dismissed speculation about hosting an Ashes Test match in India. Earlier, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg had said during an appearance on the BBC's Stumped podcast that the board would be open to exploring the possibility of staging the landmark 150th anniversary Ashes Test in India next year.

However, Cricket Australia clarified that the suggestion was made during a podcast discussion and that there are currently no plans to move the historic fixture outside Australia or England.

“The idea of playing an Ashes Test was raised by a podcast interviewer, and there are no plans in place to do so,” the spokesperson said.

Former England captain Michael Atherton had earlier opposed the proposal, arguing that commercial interests should not affect one of cricket’s most historic rivalries.

Atherton said the Ashes should remain an England-Australia contest, warning that staging a one-off Test in India could weaken the tradition associated with the series. He also urged cricket administrators to focus on more important challenges facing the sport.

Although hosting an IPL match in Australia remains a possibility rather than a confirmed plan, Cricket Australia’s willingness to consider such opportunities reflects the changing commercial landscape of international cricket, where cross-border collaborations continue to influence the future of the sport.