BBL16 Full Squads Revealed: Check Each Club’s List and Complete Player Line-Up

BBL|16 is reshaping itself before a ball has been bowled. Cricket Australia’s decision to scrap the overseas draft in favour of an open market has already triggered its biggest early domino: Adelaide Strikers snapping up Ben Stokes and Mark Chapman while rivals scramble to match the pace. BJ Sports has been tracking every club’s list as it fills out, and the picture forming ahead of the historic Chennai season opener suggests this new system rewards clubs that move fastest and spend hardest.

Also check: BBL16 Big Bash League 2026 Teams: Full Squads, Signings & New Players

Full squads Now Locked: Every BBL|16 Roster, Team by Team

Every club can carry up to 18 players this season, and none has finished filling its list yet, but the table below tracks exactly who is contracted right now for each of the eight teams.

BJ Sports’ tracker shows every club still has at least one open list spot, with several marquee Australians, including Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, still free agents as clubs weigh up their remaining slots.

Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat Confirm Their Squads

Adelaide Strikers: coach Tim Paine has locked in Alex Carey, Mark Chapman, Mackenzie Harvey, Thomas Kelly, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, captain Matt Short, Ben Stokes, Tom Straker, Henry Thornton and Jerrssis Wadia. Stokes is the marquee arrival, joined by New Zealand’s Chapman, while Jamie Overton departs for the Stars.

Brisbane Heat: James Hopes takes over as coach, with Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Tom Curran, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Tim Robinson, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen and Jack Wildermuth all contracted. Curran arrives from the Stars and Robinson from New Zealand, though whether Khawaja keeps the captaincy is still undecided.

Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Renegades Confirm Their Squads

Hobart Hurricanes: Jeff Vaughan’s list features Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, captain Nathan Ellis, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster and new arrival Adam Zampa, who beat out the Strikers and Thunder to sign. Matthew Wade retired from the league after committing his slot to the coaching staff instead.

Melbourne Renegades: Luke Ronchi has replaced Cameron White as coach, with Michael Archer, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Brendan Doggett, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Caleb Jewell, Ollie Peake, Tom Rogers, Callum Stow and Will Sutherland contracted. Zampa, Fergus O’Neill and Tim Seifert have all departed, leaving a clear net loss on paper for the ‘Gades.

Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers Confirm Their Squads

Melbourne Stars: new coach Cameron White has stacked the list with Finn Allen, Austin Anlezark, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Todd Murphy, Peter Siddle, captain Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson and twins Jamie and Craig Overton, the first twins to share a BBL squad. Tom Curran departs for Brisbane in the trade-off.

Perth Scorchers: Adam Voges oversees Ashton Agar, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, new signing Calvin Harrison, Will Malajczuk, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson and Ashton Turner. Matthew Kelly retired, and Finn Allen left for Melbourne, a genuine blow for the six-time champions.

Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder Confirm Their Squads

Sydney Sixers: new coach Matthew Mott inherits Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Hayden Kerr, Riley Kingsell, Fergus O’Neill, Josh Philippe, Tim Seifert, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk and Steve Smith. The Sixers have been the league’s busiest club, adding three players from rival lists after champion skipper Moises Henriques announced his retirement.

Sydney Thunder: Andrew Flintoff’s first BBL squad as head coach features Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Aidan O’Connor, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha and David Warner, who has signed on for another summer in his forties. Ollie Davies is the club’s only confirmed departure so far.

Why Scrapping the Draft Rewards the Rich Clubs

Here is the part nobody selling the open market wants to say out loud: removing the draft does not create fairness; it removes the one mechanism that stopped wealthy, well-run franchises from simply outbidding everyone for the best available talent. Adelaide landing Stokes and Hobart winning the race for Zampa within days of the market opening are not accidents of good scouting. They are what happens when a club with money and reputation gets first call on the biggest names available.

BJ Sports’ comparison of this window against the last drafted BBL season shows the same handful of clubs securing the highest-profile signings, while franchises without the same pulling power are left negotiating for players everyone else passed on. A draft at least forced a version of parity across the competition. An open market simply rewards whoever can move fastest and pay the most, year after year.

What It Means Before the Historic Chennai Opener

None of these lists are final. Every club still has room to add overseas talent, and free agents like Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins could reshape a roster overnight before a ball is bowled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on December 12, where Melbourne Renegades host Perth Scorchers in the first-ever BBL match played outside Australia.

Full squads won’t be locked until the last visa clears, but the early shape of BBL|16 already tells the real story: this is a market that favours the clubs willing to spend first, and Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne Stars have made sure everyone else is chasing. For fans wanting to catch that historic opener live, the Melbourne Renegades match free live sports streams online on Sports Live Hub covers the Chennai clash without a subscription wall.

BJ Sports’ early read is clear: the clubs that moved fastest, Adelaide, Hobart and the Stars, have already built the strongest squads for the Chennai opener. Follow us for full squad updates and result-by-result BBL|16 coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which team signed Ben Stokes?

The Adelaide Strikers signed Ben Stokes for the 2026-27 season. He joins fellow overseas addition Mark Chapman in a revamped middle order under new coach Tim Paine.

Why did the BBL scrap the overseas draft?

The BBL removed the overseas draft so clubs could negotiate signings directly on the open market. The change immediately produced marquee deals such as Adelaide’s signing of Ben Stokes and Hobart’s signing of Adam Zampa.

Which club signed Adam Zampa for this season?

The Hobart Hurricanes signed Adam Zampa on a two-year deal. He left the Melbourne Renegades after three seasons, beating out interest from Adelaide and Sydney Thunder.

Where and when does BBL|16 start?

This season opens on December 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Melbourne Renegades host Perth Scorchers in the first-ever BBL match played outside Australia.

Who are the new head coaches?

This season has five new head coaches, including Andrew Flintoff at Sydney Thunder and Matthew Mott at Sydney Sixers. James Hopes, Luke Ronchi and Cameron White also take over at Brisbane, Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars, respectively.

Disclaimer: This Today’s Trending (Blog) expresses the author’s personal insights and analysis. We encourage readers to consider the points discussed and draw their own conclusions.

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