Around 5,000 tickets sold for BBL-16 opener at Chennai's MAC Stadium

Around 5,000 tickets have been sold for the BBL-16 season opener between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers at the MAC Stadium in Chennai on December 12, Alistair Dobson, General Manager of the Big Bash League, said. The match will be the first time an overseas T20 league fixture is held in India and forms part of a week-long celebration of India-Australia bilateral ties.

Dobson spoke about the initial ticket response after sales opened for the Chennai fixture and described the interest as encouraging. He highlighted the fixture’s placement in Chennai and confirmed the Renegades and Scorchers will be the teams contesting the opener.

On the early sales, Dobson said, "We know the BBL is already really popular in India. I think we were really optimistic when we put tickets on sale that that would translate into some sales, but it’s certainly exceeded our expectations," said Dobson.

Dobson also addressed the opportunity the match presents for the competition and those involved, saying, "It’s a great opportunity, not just for our league but for our clubs and importantly for our players to come and show just how good they are in arguably the biggest market in the world," said Dobson.

On the experience fans can expect, Dobson said, "The BBL offers something slightly different. We hear from our fans in India that they really want to experience it in person, the colour, noise, and music that comes with a BBL game. It’s a combination of taking our game to Chennai, but also having the clarity to bring a BBL experience," said Dobson.

Perth Scorchers’ Jhye Richardson and Melbourne Renegades’ Brendan Doggett will lead their teams in the game on Dec. 12, a match scheduled at the MAC Stadium in Chennai.

The BBL-16 season opener between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will take place at MAC Stadium on December 12 as part of the week-long India-Australia celebration, with around 5,000 tickets already sold, Dobson said.