The captain who opens the batting
Short is a right-handed batter who bowls right-arm off-spin, and his value is that he does two jobs at the top of the side. He opens the batting, setting the pace of the innings in the powerplay, and then bowls his off-spin in the middle overs — the kind of double role that lets a captain balance the side with an extra specialist.
His captaincy is the other half of the job. Short leads a side that missed the finals last season and has not reached a final since winning the title in 2017-18, and he has to blend two new overseas stars with the local core. The extension to BBL|17 says the club trusts him to do it.
From BBL player of the tournament to captain
Short’s rise is one of the BBL’s best stories of recent years. He was named player of the tournament in BBL|12 after a season of big opening stands and useful off-spin, and that form took him into Australia’s T20 side. He has since become a regular in the national white-ball set-up while captaining the Strikers.
That journey matters because it is the path the club wants its younger players to follow. Short was not a teenage prodigy with a famous name; he was a domestic cricketer who kept improving until the BBL could not ignore him. As captain, he is the proof that the Strikers’ system can produce international cricketers.
What Short brings to BBL|16
Short is one of the announced contracted players for BBL|16 — the full squad has not been announced yet — and his role is the busiest in the side: open the batting, bowl four overs, and captain the team. With Stokes in the side, Short has a senior player to lean on; with Chapman, he has a middle-order batter who can finish what he starts.
Watch his powerplay batting. When Short gets going in the first six overs, Adelaide’s totals climb quickly and the middle order can play with freedom. There are no BBL|16 numbers for Short yet; the season starts on 12 December, and his first innings as captain this season comes against Sydney Thunder on 16 December.
What’s next
BBL|16 runs from 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027. The opener is Match 1, Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, on Saturday 12 December at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai — the first BBL match played outside Australia — starting at 2:40 PM IST (2:10 PM PKT). Matt’s team, the Adelaide Strikers, open their campaign in Match 3. The full list of every BBL fixture is on the BBL Schedule.
- Match 3 — Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder: Wednesday 16 December 2026, 1:45 PM IST (1:15 PM PKT), Manuka Oval, Canberra (Away).
- Finals: The finals are the Qualifier on 19 January, the Knockout on 20 January, the Challenger on 23 January and the final on 26 January, Australia Day. Finals venues and times are still to be confirmed.
- Points: Eight teams play ten league matches each. A win is worth 2 points, a no result is worth 1, and the top four qualify for the finals, with net run rate deciding places when teams are level on points.
Follow every BBL result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.
Frequently asked questions
Who captains Adelaide Strikers in BBL|16?
Matt Short. He is a right-handed opening batter and right-arm off-spinner, and he is contracted until BBL|17.
Was Matt Short BBL player of the tournament?
Yes. Short was named player of the tournament in BBL|12 after a standout season opening the batting and bowling off-spin for the Strikers.
When is Adelaide Strikers’ first match?
Match 3 against Sydney Thunder on Wednesday 16 December 2026, starting at 1:45 PM IST (1:15 PM PKT) at Manuka Oval in Canberra.