Cricket Victoria is preparing for one of the most significant changes in Big Bash League (BBL) history, with plans to merge the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades into a single state-backed team.
The proposal would bring an end to the two Melbourne franchises that have been part of the BBL since its launch 15 years ago. Under the plan, Cricket Victoria would retain one Melbourne team while making the second BBL licence available for sale to a private investor.
Cricket Victoria Chief Executive Nick Cummins said the decision was driven by financial necessity rather than preference.
“We are not doing this because we want to. We are doing it because it has become a financial necessity,” Cummins said.
According to reports, the merged club would remain under Cricket Victoria’s control, while the second licence could be sold as part of Cricket Australia’s broader strategy to attract private investment into the BBL.
An official announcement is expected later this month, although it remains unclear whether the Stars and Renegades will continue under their current identities for the 2026-27 season. Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has previously indicated that the upcoming BBL season would proceed as planned.
The move marks a dramatic shift for two clubs that helped define the competition. The Melbourne derby once attracted crowds of more than 80,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while memorable moments such as the 2013 clash between Shane Warne and Marlon Samuels became iconic BBL highlights.
The rivalry also produced a memorable 2019 BBL final, when the Renegades defeated the Stars at Marvel Stadium after a remarkable comeback.
However, behind the scenes, Cricket Victoria has faced growing financial pressure linked to Cricket Australia’s proposed BBL privatisation plans. Early estimates suggested Australian cricket faced a funding shortfall of around $90 million, but later projections reportedly increased that figure to nearly $400 million.
Cummins said Cricket Victoria initially opposed selling stakes in BBL clubs because it wanted to protect grassroots programs and community cricket. However, the scale of the financial challenge forced a reassessment.
Victoria has moved more quickly than some other states on the issue.
Cricket Australia’s privatisation proposal reportedly stalled earlier this year following opposition from Queensland and New South Wales, while any future sale of BBL licences would still require approval from the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
Reports suggest the new Melbourne team would play its home matches at the MCG and wear a navy-blue uniform, although its official name has yet to be confirmed.
The proposal has sparked criticism from some supporters who believe the Stars and Renegades identities are being abandoned without sufficient consultation.
Questions also remain over the future of players, staff, sponsors and existing contracts. Any transfer of player agreements would need to be negotiated with the Australian Cricketers’ Association, while employees and commercial partners face uncertainty about their future roles.
Cricket Victoria argues that combining the two Melbourne operations would create greater stability for staff and sponsors, while enabling a new owner to launch a fresh Melbourne franchise with its own branding and identity.
The plan also raises uncertainty over the future of the Stars and Renegades brands, which currently continue to promote memberships, tickets and teams through their official platforms.
Supporters of the merger point to the success of single-team markets such as Perth, where the Perth Scorchers have built one of the strongest fan bases in the competition. Cricket Victoria hopes a unified Melbourne team could deliver similar success.
The potential sale of a second Melbourne licence is also expected to attract interest from international investors, including groups linked to the Indian Premier League, as Australian cricket seeks new funding sources to strengthen the BBL.
For many long-time fans, however, the proposal represents the end of an era. The Stars and Renegades were created to establish a fierce Melbourne rivalry and help grow the BBL in Australia’s largest sporting market.
If approved, the merger would bring that chapter to a close and signal a new, more commercially focused future for the competition. While Cricket Victoria argues the move is necessary to secure the financial future of the sport, many supporters see it as the loss of two clubs that helped shape the identity of the Big Bash League.