Betting Tips

Each game will be important for both teams to gain early momentum with a win and two points at this early stage. A loss, however, may not be too damaging to the losing side with more than a month of the competition left. The Sixers always walk into any Big Bash League season as a team to watch. The Renegades won’t have the same level of pressure, but will be keen to make their mark this season.

Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades Head-to-Head Record

These teams from Sydney and Melbourne have met each other quite a bit in recent years, particularly in 2022. Of the five previous occasions that they have met, the Sixers have come out victorious four times and one match was abandoned.

Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades Live-streaming and Broadcast

The Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades match will kick off the campaigns of the respective teams for this year’s Big Bash League (BBL). They are playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday, 16 December 2024. Indian fans can view the game on the Disney+ Hotstar app.

SS vs MR Team Previews

Sydney Sixers

Josh Philippe returns for another season in Sydney as the explosive wicketkeeper-batter. The opening batter will be tasked with providing brisk starts alongside the reliable Kurtis Patterson. Philippe’s dynamic stroke play complements Patterson’s steadiness.

Anchoring the middle-order is the prolific Steven Smith. Smith’s partnership with captain Moises Henriques adds experience and stability to the batting lineup. Smith was the top run-scorer in last year’s match versus the Renegades when he hit 61 runs off 42 balls.

Henriques is an accomplished middle-order batter with lengthy experience in the pink of the Sixers. The captain himself hit an important 40-run knock.

The middle-order batting looks solid with the likes of James Vince and Daniel Hughes bringing consistency and adaptability. Vince, an English stalwart, knows how to score runs in pressure moments. The Englishman has 243 runs in his last eight Big Bash League innings. Hughes provides batting depth with his composure in any situation.

All-rounder Hayden Kerr adds further flexibility to the Sydney lineup. He is capable of chipping in with crucial runs and economical overs in the death. Sean Abbott is one of the most consistent T20 bowlers in Australia. Abbott is well-known for his deadly accuracy in the death overs. He is ably supported by the left-arm pace of Ben Dwarshuis. He took three wickets against the Renegades in last year’s home fixture and has 14 Big Bash League wickets in his last ten matches of the tournament.

In the spin department, Todd Murphy takes responsibility. The young off-spinner’s rise in Australian cricket has heightened expectations. The pace department features Jackson Bird. He is a Sixers veteran who is dangerous with the new ball.

Sydney Sixers Expected Playing 11

Melbourne Renegades

Leading the batting charge will be attacking opener Josh Brown, who impressed last season with the eventual champions Brisbane Heat. Partnering him is Jake Fraser-McGurk, whose explosive performances in domestic T20s have earned him national honours.

The young talent has 257 runs in his last nine innings of the tournament, while striking at almost 160. He hit 48 runs off 24 balls in last year’s clash. Adding stability to the middle-order is English import Laurie Evans. His experience combined with the wicketkeeping prowess and finishing ability of Tim Seifert provides a strong backbone to the Renegades' lineup.

Jonathan Wells is a veteran of the league with a wealth of knowledge in Australian conditions.

The all-round capabilities of captain Will Sutherland and bowling allrounder Tom Rogers ensure depth and balance in both departments. Sutherland is a leader by example with his fast-bowling. He has seven wickets in his last eight Big Bash League matches. He also hit an unbeaten half-century against the same opposition in 2023.

The bowling lineup is headlined by seasoned campaigner Kane Richardson with his death-over expertise. Gurinder Sandhu is another strong bowling option for Sutherland to work with.

Spin is undoubtedly the Renegades’ strongest suit and will be important on the Sydney pitch. Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa form a world-class duo. Lyon’s ability to stifle runs during the middle overs is coupled with Zampa’s knack for picking up wickets.

They could arguably be the best spin duo of the competition. Zampa picked up two wickets at Sydney in the previous clash against the Sixers.

Melbourne Renegades Expected Playing 11

SS vs MR Toss Prediction

This match will be played at Sydney as a night game. The captains may prefer to bat first despite this. History suggests that batting first has been more favourable with more T20Is at Sydney being won by batting first. The previous encounter was also won the Sydney Sixers when they batted first.

Pitch and Conditions

The Sydney Cricket Ground may offer a balanced pitch for a fair contest between bat and ball. The batters may target the shorter square boundaries. The bowlers will need to be mindful of this in their bowling plans. This is also one of the more spin-friendly grounds in Australia. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa claimed two wickets against the Sixers at the SCG in 2023.

There should be no rain interruptions in Sydney on matchday with only a 15 percent chance of rain. Temperatures will be in the high 20s Degrees Celsius and extremely humid.

SS vs MR Betting Tips

This will be the second match of the Big Bash League for 2024/25. The teams endured contrasting fortunes during their previous season. The Sydney Sixers made it to the knockout stage before falling at the final hurdle in the Final against the Brisbane Heat.

The Melbourne Renegades struggled throughout their campaign as they finished seventh on the table. The home advantage of the Sydney crowd will work in favour of the Sixers. With their dominant record against their visitors recently, they will be stern favourites for this match.

Bet on Sydney Sixers to win this match.