Big Bash League: Know Everything About It

When talking about Big Bash league, everyone goes back to the 2018-19 version of the sport which was released quite a few years back. But, things have now changed for the better, especially with the transformation that it has undergone, especially with the new finals format.

According to the new changes, the favourable teams will get two chances to fight for the title of the Champion even after the completion of the league stage.

For those who have been playing on some of the best fantasy cricket app, you’d likely want one specifically for BBL too.

What is Big Bash League?

For those who aren’t aware of it at all, the Big Bash League is an Australian professional franchise Twenty20 cricket league developed by Cricket Australia. Given the kind of popularity the league gained, it was initially sponsored by KFC and was termed as the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash in the initial days.

Alongside the Indian Premiere League, this is also another 20-20 cricket league. The league also features the 10 domestic sports leagues in average attendance. The last 2019-20 who won the match was Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars managed to secure the second position.

The majority of the BBL matches are played during the summer months in the southern hemisphere, majorly during December, January, and February.

BBL 2020: What are the changes?

If you have only played the Big Bash League in the first series around 2018, likely, you will not know of the new changes that the new 2020 format brings in.

As per the new terms and format, it rewards the top two teams of the league. The remaining three times will eventually be fighting in the playoffs.

What are the current teams?

The franchise currently has eight city-based teams instead of six, which was witnessed during the last season’s game. The primary teams in the league include:

• Adelaide Strike
• Brisbane Heat
• Hobart Hurricanes
• Melbourne Renegades
• Melbourne Stars
• Perth Scorchers
• Sydney Sixers
• Sydney Thunder

What is the Salary cap?

During the initial days after the launch, the salary cap was set at $1 million which was later increased to $1.05 million, specifically for the third season. The fifth season later saw a jump in the salary cap with a $1.3 million valuation followed by $1.6 million for the sixth season.

What are the updates on Women’s BBL?

Belinda Clark, the former test captain and the Head of Center of Excellence in Brisbane reported in 2014 about a possible introduction of the women’s BBL. It was later in 2015-16 that the first women’s BBL was announced and played amongst teams from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Hobart.

The first league was won by Sydney Thunder defeating Sydney Sixers. But, Sydney Sixers managed to win the second and the third league of the franchise. Further games haven’t been conducted for the women’s league yet.

The latest season witnessed was conducted around January 2020 before the lockdowns and the spread of the coronavirus. With the uncertainty because of the virus, it is still unsure as to how things are about to unfold in the next season of the game. Unlike the general fantasy cricket app, there aren’t any dedicated BBL fantasy app, which is a bummer.