Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, Thursday, 14 January 2027 — 1:45 PM IST (1:15 PM PKT, 08:15 UTC, 7:15 PM AEDT local), Melbourne Cricket Ground
Match 35 of the Big Bash League season is Melbourne Stars against Hobart Hurricanes on Thursday, 14 January 2027, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The first ball is at 1:45 PM IST (1:15 PM PKT, 08:15 UTC, 7:15 PM AEDT local time), and it is the sixth match of the season at the MCG.
This is the meeting of a club chasing its first title and the club that holds the trophy. The Stars have reached four finals and lost all four, a record that hangs over every season they play. The Hurricanes, champions in 2024-25, arrive in Melbourne as the side that knows how to finish the job. The MCG has seen more BBL matches this season than any other ground, and on a Thursday night in January it will be full of Stars fans waiting for the year that finally changes.
How both sides arrive in BBL|16
The season has not started, so there is no form to read: the first match is on Saturday 12 December 2026. Below is the shape of the Stars and the Hurricanes on paper.
| Team | Captain | Coach | BBL titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Stars | Marcus Stoinis | Cameron White | none yet |
| Hobart Hurricanes | Nathan Ellis | Jeff Vaughan | 2024-25 |
The Stars are still chasing a first title after four final defeats, and this season they have added Finn Allen to a batting group built around Glenn Maxwell and captain Marcus Stoinis. Cameron White coaches the side. The pieces are familiar — big names, big crowds at the MCG, and a history of falling at the last hurdle — and the question is whether the new faces are enough to change the ending.
Hobart come to Melbourne as the champions of 2024-25, and they have strengthened since: Nathan Ellis captains the side, Adam Zampa is the big new signing, and Jeff Vaughan coaches. A title defence is a different kind of pressure from a title chase, and the Hurricanes will want to show at the MCG that last season was the start of something, not a one-off.
Two points, and the finals race
Two points go to the winner, one each if the match is a no-result. Four finals places are on offer across ten league matches per side.
By the middle of January the table is tight, and this match sits right in the middle of the run-in: a Stars win at home keeps their finals hopes alive and puts pressure on the teams above them, while a Hurricanes win away from home would be a champion’s result.
For the Stars, the stakes are about belief. A home win over the champions would be the result that makes the rest of the league take their title challenge seriously. For Hobart, it is about staying in the top two and keeping the Qualifier in their own hands. Both sides know that January games decide where the finals are played — and who plays in them.
The players who can decide it
Four names to follow, each one linked to that player’s SialTV profile.
Glenn Maxwell is the Stars player the MCG comes to see. As an all-rounder he can turn a match with the bat in the space of an over, and his fielding alone changes how the opposition run between the wickets. When Maxwell fires at home, the Stars look like a different team.
Marcus Stoinis captains the Stars and anchors their middle order as an all-rounder. His job in this match is to hold the innings together when the Hurricanes’ attack squeezes, and then to use the ball himself when Hobart bat. The Stars go as their captain goes.
Nathan Ellis captains Hobart and leads their attack as a bowler. His death bowling is the skill the Hurricanes lean on when games get tight, and at the MCG his changes of pace will be tested by a Stars batting line-up that likes to hit through the line.
Tim David is the Hurricanes batter built for finishing innings. As a batter who clears the rope late in an innings, he is the reason Hobart can chase down totals that look out of reach — and the reason the Stars will want him out before the last five overs.
Match information
| Ground | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Series | Big Bash League |
| Season | 2026-27, BBL|16 |
| Match Days | Thursday, 14 January 2027 |
| Start | 1:45 PM IST (1:15 PM PKT, 08:15 UTC, 7:15 PM AEDT local) |
| Points | Winner 2, loser 0 |
Match yet to begin — the scorecard will appear on this page after the match. The MCG hosts six matches this season, more than any other ground.
Frequently asked questions
When does Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes start?
Match 35 is played on Thursday, 14 January 2027 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The first ball is at 1:45 PM IST, which is 1:15 PM PKT, 08:15 UTC and 7:15 PM AEDT local time. It is the sixth match of the season at the MCG, the ground that hosts more BBL matches than any other this season.
Have the Stars ever won the BBL?
No. Melbourne Stars are the only BBL team yet to win a title, after four final defeats. Hobart Hurricanes won their first title in 2024-25, so this match pairs the league’s only title-less club against its reigning champions. Finn Allen joins Glenn Maxwell and captain Marcus Stoinis for the Stars this season.
Who captains each side in Match 35?
Marcus Stoinis captains the Melbourne Stars, with Cameron White coaching. Nathan Ellis captains the Hobart Hurricanes, with Jeff Vaughan coaching and Adam Zampa the big new signing. Both captains are confirmed for BBL|16, unlike several other clubs whose captaincy is still to be confirmed.
Who are the players to watch in Match 35?
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis for the Stars, and Nathan Ellis and Tim David for the Hurricanes. Maxwell and Stoinis are the Stars’ match-winners with bat and ball, while Ellis leads Hobart’s attack and David is the finisher who can close out a chase late in the innings.