PM Modi Gifts Steve Waugh Rare Photo, India and Australia Unveil Historic Cricket Partnership

Melbourne, July 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh with a rare photograph from their first meeting nearly two decades ago during a landmark visit to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), highlighting the deepening sporting and cultural ties between India and Australia.

The photograph captured a memorable moment from the time when Narendra Modi was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The emotional gesture was warmly received by Waugh, symbolising the enduring friendship between the two nations that extends well beyond diplomacy into the world of sports.

Accompanied by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, PM Modi participated in a major event celebrating the growing India-Australia sporting partnership. The occasion also witnessed the unveiling of a historic initiative that will see the Big Bash League (BBL) played outside Australia for the first time.

Cricket Australia announced that the Melbourne Renegades will take on the Perth Scorchers at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on December 12 to open the 2026-27 BBL season. The Melbourne Renegades will officially serve as the home team, making it the first-ever Big Bash League fixture to be staged on Indian soil.

The match has been scheduled immediately after the fourth day’s play of the opening Test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth, allowing Australian cricket followers to seamlessly transition to the start of the BBL season.

The groundbreaking initiative has received support from both the Indian and Australian governments, with partial financial assistance from the Centre of Australia-India Relations. The move forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen bilateral ties through sports diplomacy and people-to-people engagement.

Chennai was selected as the host city because of its rich cricketing heritage and the enormous popularity of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, one of the world’s most followed cricket teams. The decision also received the backing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Australian Consul-General Silai Zaki.

The Chennai encounter will create history by becoming the first overseas domestic cricket league match officially hosted in India. While Australian franchises have previously competed in India during the now-defunct Champions League T20, this will mark the first official BBL fixture to be staged outside Australia. Cricket Australia had earlier experimented with overseas domestic matches by hosting a Sheffield Shield game in New Zealand in 2016.

Cricket Australia General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, described the decision as a reflection of the league’s expanding international appeal and the enduring cricketing bond between India and Australia. He expressed confidence that the match could become the most-watched game in the history of any Australian domestic sporting competition.

Australian broadcasters will deploy full commentary teams to Chennai, while JioStar will televise the match across India. Cricket Australia is also planning travel packages for Australian supporters and expects a capacity crowd at the 38,000-seat M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

During his visit to the MCG, Prime Minister Modi interacted with young athletes participating in exhibition matches of cricket, kabaddi and Australian Rules Football. The event also featured celebrated sporting personalities, including Steve Waugh and former Australian women’s cricketer Lisa Sthalekar, who joined the Prime Minister in encouraging youth participation in sports.

A key highlight of the visit was the release of the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, jointly unveiled by Prime Ministers Modi and Albanese. The roadmap outlines enhanced cooperation in sports infrastructure, athlete development, coaching, youth exchanges, sports science and high-performance training.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi congratulated Australia on its recent ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph and underlined the tremendous opportunities for sporting collaboration in the coming decade. He noted that India will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, while Australia will welcome the world for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, presenting both countries with significant opportunities to share expertise and strengthen sporting ties.

The visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground not only celebrated cricket’s enduring role in connecting the two nations but also reinforced the commitment of India and Australia to expand cooperation across multiple sporting disciplines, making sports an increasingly important pillar of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.