The Big Bash League (BBL) rings in the New Year with a high-stakes encounter at Docklands Stadium (Marvel Stadium) as the Melbourne Renegades host the Sydney Sixers. Both teams are looking to shake off sluggish starts to the season and climb the ladder in this 18th match of the tournament.

The Renegades return to their home turf coming off consecutive defeats against the Hurricanes. Their biggest blow is the absence of star spinner Adam Zampa, who is sidelined with a neck strain. Fans can keep an eye on Tim Seifert, who has been the Renegades’ most consistent performer with the bat. Jake Fraser-McGurk is due for a big score after a quiet start to the season, and he historically performs well at this venue.

Despite their pedigree, the Sixers have struggled for momentum. However, they hold a massive psychological advantage, having won nine consecutive matches against the Renegades. The inclusion of Babar Azam provides world-class stability at the top but his form is concerning factor for the Sixers. All-rounder Jack Edwards has been a standout with the ball, while Josh Philippe remains their primary engine in the powerplay.

MR vs SS, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: January 01, 2026; 10:30 am IST / 5:00 am GMT / 4:00 pm Local
• Venue: Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

MR vs SS, Head-to-Head Record in BBL

Matches played: 20 | Melbourne Renegades won: 5 | Sydney Sixers won: 14 | No result/Tied: 1

Docklands Stadium Pitch Report

The New Year’s Day clash at Docklands Stadium promises a high-scoring contest on a traditionally batting-friendly drop-in pitch characterized by consistent bounce and short square boundaries. While the retractable roof ensures a controlled environment free from weather interruptions, the surface typically favors pace over spin, with the ball skidding on nicely under the lights. The toss-winning captain will likely elect to bat first to capitalize on the flat initial conditions and apply scoreboard pressure in what is historically a difficult venue for chasing high totals.

Squads:

Melbourne Renegades: Josh Brown, Tim Seifert, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Oliver Peake, Hassan Khan, Will Sutherland (c), Andrew Tye, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Behrendorff, Sam Elliott, Caleb Jewell, Fergus O Neill, Matthew Spoors

Sydney Sixers: Babar Azam, Daniel Hughes, Josh Philippe (wk), Moises Henriques (c), Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, Joel Davies, Ben Manenti, Sean Abbott, Jafer Chohan, Lachlan Shaw, Hayden Kerr, Mitchell Perry

Also WATCH: Tanveer Sangha takes a sensational diving catch to dismiss Josh Inglis in BBL|15

MR vs SS, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Melbourne Renegades wins the toss and bats first
• Melbourne Renegades’ powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
• Melbourne Renegades’ total score: 160-170

Case 2:

• Sydney Sixers wins the toss and bats first
• Sydney Sixers’ powerplay score: 50-60 (6 overs)
• Sydney Sixers’ total score: 175-185

Match result: Team batting first to win the contest

Also READ: Ashton Turner’s explosive knock leads Perth Scorchers to dominating win over Sydney Thunder in BBL|15

NEW DELHI: Getting into the Yuletide spirit could prove expensive for an Air India pilot who was to operate a Vancouver-Delhi (via Vienna) flight on Dec 23, 2025. A staffer at Vancouver duty free either saw him inadvertently sipping wine being offered at this festive time or found him smelling of liquor while he was buying a bottle. She reported this Boeing 777 pilot to the Canadian authorities who conducted a breath analyser test on him which he flunked and then he was detained. Luckily for passengers, Air India managed to quickly find a replacement. The ultra long haul, to be operated by four pilots or two sets (one captain and a co-pilot in each set) in turns, supposed to leave at 3 pm local time did so with just a two-hour delay. The aircraft then landed in Vienna from where another set of crew operated it to Delhi.“AI has taken a very stern view of this matter. The pilot was flown to Delhi a couple of days later and is being probed. The issue has been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is also examining the same,” said people in the know. While some sources say the pilot had inadvertently sipped an alcoholic drink at the airport and a staffer at duty free saw him doing so, others said he smelled of alcohol when buying a bottle. It is not yet known which of the two really happened, staffer reported the matter to Canadian authorities who then used CCTV footage to find out the pilot in question was to operate with flight. They managed to trace him to the AI aircraft.In a statement, AI said: “AI 186 from Vancouver to Delhi on Dec 23, 2025, experienced a last-minute delay after one of the cockpit crew members was offloaded prior to departure. Canadian authorities raised concerns regarding the pilot’s fitness for duty, following which the crew member was taken for further inquiry. In accordance with safety protocols, an alternate pilot was rostered to operate the flight, resulting in the delay.”“Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers and is fully cooperating with the local authorities. The pilot has been taken off flying duties during the process of enquiry. Air India maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of applicable rules and regulations. Pending the outcome of the investigation, any confirmed violation will attract strict disciplinary action in line with company policy. Safety remains Air India’s highest priority at all times,” the airline statement added.Pilots operating international sectors usually do not have pre-flight breath analyser (BA) tests and the same is conducted on arrival as liquor is available on board these flights. This is to ensure they have not taken a sip or two during the flight. On domestic flights, pre-flights BA tests are conducted as alcohol is not served/sold on flights within India. While rules don’t mandate this, AI on its own has enforced a policy of conducting random pre-flight BA at international stations. The airline frequently keeps sending its doctors on international flights who then conduct these checks on pilots who are to operate the return flight to India. Pilots are surprised at this case. “Forget drinking, we don’t even use after shaves, perfumes, mouth wash or homeopathic medicines some hours before operating a flight. There have been multiple instances of teetotallers failing BA tests because of the alcohol in their breath because of using toiletries with alcoholic content. We look for these items without any alcohol, except homeopathic medicines where possibly there’s no option,” said a captain. The reason: Failing BA test thrice means losing flying license.

NEW DELHI: Delhi woke up under a thick blanket of fog on Thursday, with visibility plunging across large parts of the city and the National Capital Region (NCR) as air quality stayed in the ‘very poor’ category. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 372 at 7am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).A station-wise analysis showed that 29 monitoring stations recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, while 7 slipped into the ‘severe’ bracket. Anand Vihar emerged as the worst-hit location, logging an AQI of 421, CPCB data from the SAMEER app showed. Under CPCB norms, an AQI of 0–50 is classified as ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.The Air Quality Early Warning System has warned that air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the next 6 days.Officials attributed the sustained pollution levels to unfavourable meteorological conditions, including a low ventilation index of below 6,000 square metres per second and weak wind speeds of under 10 kmph, which hinder the dispersion of pollutants. On Tuesday, the city recorded an AQI of 388, a marginal improvement over Monday’s ‘severe’ reading of 401. Weather conditions remained cold as well. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature at Safdarjung and Ayanagar was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, about 0.4 degrees below the seasonal average. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius, with dense fog likely to persist through the day. Other stations reported similar chill, with Palam recording a minimum of 7.7 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 6.8 degrees, and the Ridge 7.8 degrees. For New Year’s Day, the IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain over the national capital. Meanwhile, a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has found that Delhi remained the most polluted city in the NCR in 2025, followed by Ghaziabad and Noida. While the annual average PM2.5 concentration in Delhi showed a decline compared with last year, the polluted-season average between October and December rose slightly over 2024 levels. The study noted that PM2.5 levels at all 40 monitoring stations in Delhi were at least 1.8 times — nearly double — the prescribed annual standard. Of the 29 cities in the NCR, only 14 had PM2.5 data coverage exceeding 75% in 2025. The remaining 15 cities, all located in Haryana — including Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal — had inadequate monitoring coverage, underscoring persistent gaps in air quality surveillance across the region.

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On Thursday, January 1, Cricket Australia (CA) officially announced the squad of the Australia National Cricket Team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The Australian selectors have decided to go with the spin-heavy squad looking at the conditions that are expected to be offered in India and Sri Lanka during the marquee event.

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well – George Bailey

The selection committee has also named the trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David in the squad despite their injuries and George Bailey said that they are currently recovering well.

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“The T20 side has enjoyed a long run of recent success which enabled the panel to choose a balance of players across the variety of conditions Sri Lanka and India may present,” said selection chair George Bailey.

“Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David are tracking well and we are confident they will be available for the World Cup.

“This is a preliminary squad so should changes need to be made they will ahead of the support period.

“A squad for the three game T20 Series against Pakistan which precedes the World Cup will be named at a later date.”

Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Also Read: Travis Head promotes ‘Drinking Culture’ in cricket after Noosa controversy

More to follow..

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