WBBL 2026-27 Fixture List — Schedule, Format, Marquee Decoded

Women's Big Bash League 2026-27 runs October 21, 2026 to December 7, 2026. Eight franchises. 56 league matches. The Final at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne. WBBL 2026-27 runs right after the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 final, so Australian internationals will arrive late. Here is the WBBL 12 (2026-27) decode.

Tournament window

October 21, 2026 to December 7, 2026 — seven weeks. The Final on December 7 at Marvel Stadium. The schedule was deliberately pushed back from the usual October 10 start to give the Australian Women's T20 WC 2026 squad (final October 18) two days' rest before WBBL 12 starts.

The eight franchises

Sydney Sixers (defending champions), Sydney Thunder, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Heat, Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes. The franchise structure mirrors BBL. The salary cap has been raised by 25% for season 12.

Australian internationals — arrival window

Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Darcie Brown — all return from the Women's T20 WC 2026 by October 19. They'll skip the WBBL 12 opening week to rest. The match-by-match availability is the franchise scheduling challenge.

Marquee international signings

Smriti Mandhana (Sydney Sixers — signed for season 11, returns for 12), Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades), Sophia Dunkley (Perth Scorchers), Hayley Matthews (Brisbane Heat), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Sydney Sixers), Sophie Ecclestone (Adelaide Strikers), Maia Bouchier (Hobart Hurricanes), Tammy Beaumont (Sydney Thunder).

The Indian contingent

Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (Melbourne Stars), Deepti Sharma (Sydney Thunder), Jemimah Rodrigues (Perth Scorchers). Five Indian internationals across five franchises. The most-ever in WBBL.

Venues

WACA (Perth), Adelaide Oval, Brisbane Heat use the new Stadium of Light Brisbane, Melbourne uses Junction Oval and Marvel Stadium, Sydney uses North Sydney Oval and Hurstville Oval, Hobart at Blundstone Arena.

Format and playoff structure

Eight teams. League stage of 56 matches (each team plays 14). Top four advance to playoffs. Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, Final. The Final on December 7 at Marvel Stadium.

Broadcast deal

Channel 7 holds the free-to-air Australian rights. Fox Sports for premium Australian audiences. JioHotstar for India. Sky Sports for UK. The Final on December 7 is at 6:00 PM AEDT (12:30 PM IST) — afternoon slot for Indian viewers.

Stakes for the post-WC women's game

WBBL 12 is the first major women's tournament after the WT20 WC 2026. The narrative — does the Australian dominance continue, do the Indian signings impact franchise standings, and which uncapped Australian breaks into the senior squad for the 2027 South Africa tour.

What to watch next: WBBL 12 opening match October 21 and the Smriti Mandhana Sydney Sixers debut season 12.

Related coverage

• the 2026-27 international calendar
• WTC Final cycle
• Bbl 16 Fixture List 2026
• The Hundred 2026 Fixture List