The Melbourne Renegades is an Australian men's professional Twenty20 (T20) franchise cricket team based in Melbourne, Victoria. They compete in the Australian domestic Big Bash League (BBL) competition. As of the 2024–25 season, the team is coached by Cameron White and captained by Will Sutherland. Since the establishment of the BBL in BBL 01, the Renegades have won one title in (BBL 08).
On 2 June 2026, it was reported that the brands of the Renegades and the Melbourne Stars would be merged into a new franchise, utilising the Stars' existing BBL license. Nick Cummins, the CEO of Cricket Victoria (CV), has described the new team as "just a merger of brands and staff" and "not a merger of the teams". Two weeks later, it was confirmed that both the Renegades and the Stars would compete in the upcoming 2026–27 season under their existing names.
History Initial seasons (2011–2013)
The Renegades' foundation captain was Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald and coached by then Victorian Bushrangers one-day coach, Simon Helmot. In their first season, the Renegades signed local state players such as Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hodge and Dirk Nannes, along with Pakistani imports Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. The Renegades struggled in their first season, only winning two games against the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers respectively. Aaron Finch scored 259 runs, whilst Shahid Afridi took 10 wickets.
The 2012–13 Big Bash League season saw the Renegades release several star players including the previous seasons captain, Andrew McDonald. However, the recruitment of consistent players such as Ben Rohrer and Peter Nevill and cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan, saw the season being the Renegades most successful season to date, finishing on top of the ladder, only losing to the Perth Scorchers in the regular season. Aaron Finch also became the first Renegades player to score a century after scoring 111 from 65 balls against the Melbourne Stars. The Renegades were knocked out by the Brisbane Heat in the semi-finals, losing by 15 runs.
Lean years (2013–2017)
Despite maintaining the majority of their squad from the previous season and also recruiting Australian test bowlers Peter Siddle and James Pattinson, the Renegades struggled in the 2013–14 Big Bash League season, only winning 3 games, and in the process finishing 6th and missing the finals.
Similarly to the previous season, the Renegades headed into the 2014–15 Big Bash League season with confidence after signing Matthew Wade and Callum Ferguson in the pre-season, but failed to qualify for the finals yet again, finishing 6th. The poor run from the previous season resulted in the coach Simon Helmot being sacked.
The Renegades appointed David Saker as the new coach for the 2015–16 Big Bash League season. The Renegades also signed experienced players Cameron White, Xavier Doherty and Chris Gayle to strengthen their squad.
Renegades got a big boost by signing Brad Hogg, Sunil Narine and Thisara Perera for the 2016–17 Big Bash League season, however narrowly missed finals, finishing 5th on the table.
Successful seasons (2017–2019)
The 2017–18 Big Bash League season saw the Renegades rejuvenate their squad, with Jack Wildermuth, Mohammad Nabi, Kieron Pollard, Tim Ludeman, Kane Richardson, along with the return of inaugural 2011–12 Renegades player Brad Hodge. They qualify for the finals for the first time after 5 years; finishing 3rd on the table and winning 6 of their 10 matches. However, they were knocked out in semi-final by Adelaide Strikers by one run at Adelaide Oval in front of 36,298 fans.
With the retirements of Brad Hogg and Brad Hodge, the 2018–19 Big Bash League season was similar to the previous, with the Renegades making crucial signings such as Dan Christian, Cameron Boyce, Harry Gurney and Usman Shinwari. The Renegades finished the regular season in second place behind the Hobart Hurricanes, earning a home semi-final against the Sydney Sixers at Docklands. Chasing 181 runs for victory, the Renegades were 6/148, needing 33 runs from 14 balls. They chased the total down with one ball to spare thanks to Dan Christian and Kane Richardson hitting vital boundaries off the bowling of Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis. Due to cross-town rivals, the Melbourne Stars upsetting the Hurricanes in their semi-final the night before, the final was a home Melbourne Derby at Docklands two days after their victory over the Sixers.
The final saw the Stars win the toss and elect to field in front of 40,816 fans. They had the Renegades 5/65 after 10.2 overs, but an unbeaten 80 run partnership between Dan Christian and Tom Cooper saw the Renegades post a modest total of 145 after their 20 overs. The Renegades initially struggled defending the total, with the Stars being 0/93, needing 53 runs off the final 43 deliveries. What transpired next has gone down as one of the biggest "chokes" in Australian sporting history, with the Stars losing 7 wickets in the next five overs and struggling at 7/112. Despite some late hitting from Adam Zampa, the Stars fell 13 runs short, giving the Renegades their first BBL title. Dan Christian was named man of the match for his match saving 38 runs off 30 balls, and 2 wickets for 33 runs off his 4 overs of bowling.
Recent dip in form (2019–2022)
Following the success of the 2018–19 championship victory, coach Andrew McDonald left his role as head coach in October 2019, less than two months before the beginning of the 2019–20 Big Bash League season. Michael Klinger, who had recently retired from first-class cricket, was appointed coach of the Renegades on 26 November 2019. After signing Pakistani visa players Usman Shinwari and Faheem Ashraf, they pulled out on the eve of the start of the season. Their replacements were English duo Harry Gurney, who played in the BBL championship the previous season, and Richard Gleeson. The Renegades struggled with injuries and form throughout the season, finishing the season in 8th position, but did finish the season on the winners list, defeating the Brisbane Heat by seven wickets.
The following season in 2020–21 had a similar outcome to its predecessor. Visa recruit Imran Tahir pulled out of the season for personal reasons, and returning Australian test bowler James Pattinson was re-called to the national team and was unavailable for selection. Frontline spinner Cameron Boyce also withdrew from the season due to illness. Despite winning their first match of the season against the Perth Scorchers, the Renegades hit an all-time low, losing two matches by over 100 runs, and being consistently outperformed. The season did however see the unearthing of young players such as Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Will Sutherland, Zak Evans, Mitchell Perry and Peter Hatzoglou. The Renegades finished the season in 8th position again, but did register one more victory in comparison to the previous season. Just days after the Renegades' final victory of the 2020–21 season against the Hobart Hurricanes, Michael Klinger stood down as head coach. Aaron Finch also stood down as captain of the team just weeks before the start of the 2021–22 Big Bash League season, replaced by new recruit Nic Maddinson. This didn't result in a change of fortune as the Renegades finished in 8th position for the third reason in a row. The shining highlight was Cameron Boyce taking four wickets in a row in the final match of the season against the Sydney Thunder.
Home ground
The Renegades have played its home games at Docklands Stadium since the league's inception in 2011. A drop-in pitch is used to facilitate cricket at the venue. At the end of the 2016–17 Big Bash League season, the stadium was rated the most entertaining venue for Twenty20 cricket in Australia.
Since the 2017–18 Big Bash League season, the Renegades have also played up to 2 home matches at Kardinia Park in Geelong, approximately 70 kilometres south-west of Melbourne.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 Big Bash League season saw the Renegades play home matches interstate at Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast and Adelaide Oval in Adelaide due to quarantine issues. Only three home games in Victoria were played, with two at Docklands and one at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
VenueGames hosted by season01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 TotalGMHBA Stadium 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 2 2 1 1 2 13Marvel Stadium 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 7 5 2 5 6 4 4 3 64
Players
Current Squad The squad of the Melbourne Renegades for the 2026–27 Big Bash League season as of 6 October 2026. Players with international caps are listed in bold. NameDate of birthBatting styleBowling styleNotes Batters6Josh BrownRight-handed Right-arm off spin 22Harry DixonLeft-handedRight-arm off spin23Jake Fraser-McGurkRight-handedRight arm leg spin32Caleb JewellLeft-handed Left-arm medium19Oliver PeakeLeft-handed Right-arm medium All-rounders4Michael Bracewell Left-handedRight-arm off spinInternational Signing12 Will Sutherland Right-handed Right-arm fastCaptain Wicketkeepers51Jonny BairstowRight-handedInternational Signing Bowlers44Michael ArcherRight-handedRight-arm leg spin5Jason BehrendorffRight-handedLeft-arm fast 35Brendan Doggett Right-handed Right-arm fast1Sam ElliottRight-handedRight-arm medium8 Tom Rogers Left-handed Right-arm fast 24Callum StowRight-handedLeft-arm unorthodox
Captains
+NameSeasons Andrew McDonald2011–20127250028.57 Aaron Finch2012–20227131400043.66 Ben Rohrer2013–20155320060.00 Cameron White2016–20185140020.00 Dwayne Bravo20183210066.66 Tom Cooper2018–20198440050.00 Dan Christian20205230040.00 Shaun Marsh2020101000.00 Kane Richardson2021–20223110150.00 Nic Maddinson2021–20229270022.22 Source:CricInfo
Team of the Decade (2011–2021) On 28 January 2021, to celebrate the inaugural decade of the club and the league, the Renegades announced their team of the decade. All 93 players who had played for the Renegades were eligible for selection, but only two overseas players were permitted in the final XI, in line with the rules for nine of the ten seasons of the competition.
Aaron Finch (captain) Shaun Marsh Sam Harper (wicket-keeper) Ben Rohrer Tom Cooper Dan Christian Dwayne Bravo Cameron Boyce Kane Richardson Nathan Rimmington Muttiah Muralitharan Mohammad Nabi (12th man)
Administration and support staff Current staff The current administration and support staff of the Melbourne Renegades for the 2023–24 Big Bash League season as of 23 November 2023. PositionNameHead coach Cameron WhiteList manager Andrew LynchAssistant coach Simon HelmotAssistant coachIan BellAssistant coach Andre BorovecBowling coach Michael LewisStrength and conditioning coach Richard JohnsonPhysiotherapist Nick Adcock Source: Melbourne Renegades
Managerial history
+NameSeasons Simon Helmot2011–2015 32 15 17 0 46.88 David Saker2015–2016 8 3 5 0 37.50 Andrew McDonald2016–2019 35 20 15 0 57.14 Michael Klinger2019–2021 28 7 21 0 25.00 David Saker2021–present 10 3 10 1 23.08
Identity
The official mascot of the team – 'Sledge' – was revealed on 2 November 2011 after online voting on the team's official Facebook page.Renegades fans, we need your help choosing our mascot!. Facebook.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.Meet the future of Cricket. Facebook.com. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
The mascot has been described as the future of cricket. He comes from the year 2020 and wears industrial gear clad in corrugated shin pads and a futuristic helmet that hides his true identity.The fans have spoken!. Facebook.com/MelbourneRenegades. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
For the 2014–15 season a new female mascot, Willow was added, with the club also retaining the Sledge mascot.Name our mascot. melbournerenegades.com.au. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
Support and fan following