Melbourne, July 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented former Australia captain Steve Waugh with a nearly 20-year-old photograph of their first meeting when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat during his visit to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Accompanied by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, Modi unveiled a significant moment in world cricket.

The Melbourne Renegades will face the Perth Scorchers at Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on December 12 to kick off the 2026-27 Big Bash League season. This match will be the first-ever BBL game held outside Australia, with the Renegades acting as the home team. It is scheduled after the fourth day’s play of the opening Test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth.

India and Australia jointly support this initiative, with partial funding from the Centre of Australia-India Relations as part of a larger plan to strengthen bilateral ties. Chennai was chosen, with the backing of the BCCI and Australian Consul-General Silai Zaki, because of its rich cricket culture and the popularity of the Chennai Super Kings, the IPL franchise with the most social media followers.

The BBL will be the first overseas domestic cricket league to hold a match in India. While Australian teams like the Perth Scorchers, Brisbane Heat, and Hobart Hurricanes previously played in India during the now-defunct Champions League T20, this will be the first official BBL game on Indian soil. Cricket Australia had taken a Sheffield Shield match to New Zealand in 2016.

Cricket Australia General Manager of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said that staging the season opener in India reflects the BBL’s growing global appeal and the strong cricketing connection between the two countries. The match is expected to be the most-watched game in the history of any Australian domestic sporting league. Australian broadcasters will send commentary teams to Chennai, while JioStar will broadcast the game across India. Cricket Australia aims for a full house at the 38,000-capacity stadium and will offer travel packages for Australian fans.

During his visit to the MCG, Modi interacted with children taking part in exhibition matches of cricket, kabaddi, and Australian rules football alongside sporting legends like Steve Waugh and former Australia women’s cricketer Lisa Sthalekar. The event celebrated the growing sporting relationship between the two countries.

The two Prime Ministers released the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, which aims to strengthen cooperation in sports, youth programs, infrastructure, and talent development.

PM Modi also congratulated Australia on winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and noted that the coming decade offers unique opportunities for collaboration, with India set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and Australia hosting the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

–IANS

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