Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the deep sporting ties between India and Australia and expressed his delight at watching the young talent at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, which he visited on Friday alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the last day of his three-day visit to Australia. He also gifted Steve Waugh, the former Australian cricket team captain, a nearly 20-year-old photo of when he met him when Modi was chief minister of Gujarat.
Prime Minister Modi visited the MCG on the last day of his visit to Australia, where he also announced that India is striving to host the 2036 Olympic Games and expressed his happiness over Chennai hosting the opening match of the Australian T20 Cricket Championship, the 2026-27 edition of the Big Bash League.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said: “As our two countries prepare to host major global sporting events in the coming years, there is huge potential to deepen cooperation in sports, youth engagement, infrastructure and talent development.”
BBL opens in India
Notably, earlier today, the Australian Prime Minister announced that the 2026-27 BBL season will begin in India, with the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai scheduled to host the inaugural match in December. The announcement was made along with Prime Minister Modi in a joint statement.
Cricket Australia later confirmed that the Melbourne Renegades will face the Perth Scorchers in the historic season opener on 12 December. The match will be the first BBL match to be played outside Australia.
“For any sports league, hosting an event in India ensures widespread reach and viewership,” Modi said.
CWG 2030 is also in focus
During his speech at the MCG, Prime Minister Modi said that as India gears up to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the country is also pursuing its bid to host the 2036 Olympics. He also welcomed Chennai hosting the opening match of the Big Bash League 2026-27 season, saying staging sporting events in India ensures massive reach and viewership.
Albanese welcomed Prime Minister Modi to the MCG, highlighting the historic cricket rivalry between India and Australia and the record attendance during the 2024-2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He also recognized cricket legends Lisa Sthalekar and Steve Waugh, praising their contributions to the sport.
“Just two years ago, Australian and Indian fans broke a 90-year-old attendance record. Over the course of five days, 370,000 people came through these gates to watch the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Such is the passion and respect between our rivalry. It is a great honor to be joined here by two legends of Australian cricket who are admired and revered in India as well. Lisa Stalkar and Steve Waugh,” the Australian leader said.
Albanese also said the next decade represents a huge opportunity for India and Australia to strengthen sporting ties, with India hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Australia hosting the 2032 Olympics and India bidding for its 2036 Olympic bid. He added that the countries will continue to share friendly rivalries, competitive competitions and greater cooperation in sports.
Notably, Prime Minister Modi, along with Albanese, also visited the Shane Warne Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
They unveiled the roadmap for sports cooperation, which aims to strengthen sports ties between Australia and India, according to a media release. The initiative combines Australia’s experience in hosting major sporting events with India’s growing ambitions in this sector, while opening new horizons for trade, tourism and investment. It identifies key areas of cooperation, including capacity building, sports science and technology research, as well as industry and investment.
(with ANI inputs)
