Big Bash League has a big fan following and is often seen as the most watched tournament in the records of T20 cricket until now. This Australian League is very popular across the globe and includes some of the finest players that play on behalf of the teams over time. Although the BBL tournament was running for a long time, it started catching the attention of the audiences in 2011 primarily. Australia’s domestic cricket league is presently one of the top three in the globe. Cricket Australia and the BBL committee were unaware of the league’s impact on Australian cricket.
BBL supplies the Australian cricket team with some of the greatest T20 players. In recent years, BBL has developed young Australian cricketers and prepared them for international participation. Most cricket fans don’t know that IPL and BCCI contracts prevent Indian stars from playing in BBL. Many readers are shocked by this. This post offers five BBL facts that many fans don’t know.
1. BBL is the Successor to the KFC T20 Big Bash
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Before the BBL started in 2011, Cricket Australia held a competition called the KFC T20 Big Bash. It began in 2005-06, was cancelled in 2010-11 and was reformed into the Big Bash League in 2011. To make the league more interesting and accessible to fans of all ages, Cricket Australia undertook a series of renovations in recent years. Victoria Bushrangers, New South Wales Blues, Southern Redbacks, Tasmanian Tigers, Western Warriors, and Queensland Bulls were among the six participating state teams. In this competition, the Victoria Bushrangers came out on top.
2. World’s Largest Audience Attendance
The Big Bash League has attracted the second-largest cricket crowd in history. In 2016, the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars drew an astounding 80,883 spectators to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It was only 12,130 shorts of the official world record for the largest cricket audience on an international level. This record was also set at the MCG when 93,013 spectators flocked to see Australia play New Zealand in the World Cup final.
3. Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers Each Had Three Victories
The most successful franchises in the history of the league are the Sydney Sixers and the Perth Scorchers, respectively. There has been a total of three championships won between the two squads. Moreover, both squads have back-to-back championships under their belts.
4. Finals but no BBL Title
The Melbourne Stars have had particularly bad luck in the Big Bash, losing all three finals.
After them comes the Hobart Hurricanes, who have also never won the Big Bash despite making it to two finals.
5. BBL Prize Money $450,000
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The cash prizes will be distributed as follows:
$20,000 – To the team finishing 5th in the season
$80,000 – To each losing semi-finalist
$260,000 – To the Runner up
$450,000 – To the Winner of the tournament
The Sydney Sixers and the Perth Scorchers have won the BBL thrice. Big Bash League’s prize pool may seem substantial, but it pales compared to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) staggering Rs. 20 crores for the tournament’s victor.
6. Youngest Player in BBL
A cricketer must be at least 21 to compete in any domestic Twenty20 league. Most leagues recruit young men who have already played domestic cricket in their home country or elsewhere. Noor Ahmad, a young player who made waves after his BBL debut at age 15, is one example. He set a record for the league’s youngest player with his debut.
Against the Hobart Hurricanes, Ahmad made his professional cricket debut for the Melbourne Renegades and performed admirably, collecting 27-1 in his four overs. The left-handed wrist-spinner from Afghanistan will be playing for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL season 2020-21. But he is no longer a part of the squad and has yet to make an appearance in the league this year.
7. Chris Lynn Scored the Most Runs in the Event
With 2,790 runs, Chris Lynn, captain of the Brisbane Heat, has amassed the most runs in the BBL. Throughout 90 BBL games, he has posted a 37.20 average and 151.05 strike rate.
8. Ben Laughlin is the Tournament’s Top Wicket-Taker
With 111 wickets in 95 games, Ben Laughlin is the Big Bash League’s all-time leading wicket-taker. He has a 24.26 average and an 8.08 economy.
9. The Trophy of the Big Bash League
A unique aspect of the Big Bash League is that the trophy for the competition was created via a public design contest and vote. The current BBL Trophy was introduced on December 13, 2011, after the winner of a special contest to choose the trophy’s design was announced.
10. Perth Scorchers are the League’s Most Successful Franchise
The Perth Scorchers have finished second in the Big Bash League on six occasions, most recently in the 2020-21 season. They had three consecutive victories. Ashton Turner’s Perth Scorchers have a slew of hitters like Liam Livingstone and Colin Munro at their disposal. Bowling-wise, they are stacked with veterans like Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson.
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