Last Updated on 4 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Melbourne Renegades, fresh off a thrilling derby win over the Melbourne Stars, travel to Perth to take on second-placed Perth Scorchers. It is a vital game for the Renegades as they have games in hand on the teams above them, so a good run of form will put them firmly in contention for the top four.

The Scorchers have won four from six games, including an excellent comeback victory over Adelaide Strikers on January 4. Their deep batting lineup is coming to the fore, and the bowling attack is constantly improving.

An interesting game awaits at Perth Stadium. Spin has proven to be a big factor on a ground where the pace bowlers traditionally dominate, so it will be fascinating to see how the surface plays today.

BBL 2025/26 26th Match: SCO vs REN Possible Playing XIs

According to ESPNcricinfo’s Alex Malcolm, Finn Allen (finger) and Laurie Evans (hamstring) missed the Scorchers’ last game due to injury. As of Wednesday morning, the Scorchers hadn’t officially named their squad for this match.

Perth Scorchers: 1. Mitchell Marsh, 2. Sam Fanning/Finn Allen, 3. Cooper Connolly, 4. Aaron Hardie, 5. Ashton Turner (c), 6. Joel Curtis (wk), 7. Nick Hobson, 8. Ashton Agar, 9. Joel Paris, 10. Brody Couch, 11. Mahli Beardman

Caleb Jewell replaces Harry Dixon in the Renegades squad. But, they could stick with the same XI that defeated the Melbourne Stars on Sunday.

Melbourne Renegades: 1. Josh Brown, 2. Tim Seifert (OS), 3. Muhammad Rizwan (OS, wk), 4. Jake Fraser-McGurk, 5. Hassan Khan (OS), 6. Oliver Peake, 7. Will Sutherland (c), 8. Matthew Spoors, 9. Gurinder Sandhu, 10. Callum Stow, 11. Jason Behrendhorff

Perth Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

Surprisingly, spinners have had a say at Perth Stadium this BBL season. Spin bowlers have taken 19 wickets at an average of 16.47 and economy of 7.83. Pacers have picked up 21 wickets at 23.04/8.27.

Teams have scored 113 (11 overs), 150/8 and 153/8 batting first on this ground in BBL 2025/26. The chasing team has won twice, but batting first can be an attractive option today.

A clear and warm afternoon is forecast with a top of 28 degrees. Dew won’t be a factor as this match begins at 4:15pm local time.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SCO vs REN 2025/26: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Tim Seifert looks the best keeper pick especially if Finn Allen is unavailable. He missed out in the last two matches but is capable of a big score. Since the start of 2025, Seifert has scored 1,659 T20 runs at an average of 32.5 and strike rate of 148.7.

Key batter picks:

• Josh Brown has smashed 153 runs off his last 80 deliveries in his past three matches.
• Mitchell Marsh struck a century two matches ago. The opener has scored 305 runs in 12 matches against the Renegades at an average of 33.89 and strike rate of 130.90.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Cooper Connolly bats in the top three and will be one of Perth’s key bowlers as spinners have performed well on this ground. He is striking at 153.98 with the bat (174 runs, avg. 29) and has seven wickets this season.
• Aaron Hardie smashed 94* earlier this month and has picked up six wickets in the past three matches.
• Will Sutherland showed nerves of steel against the Stars and is key as an experienced member of the Renegades attack. He has nine wickets in as many innings against the Scorchers to go with 158 runs at an average of 39.50 and strike rate of 139.82.

Key bowler picks:

• Joel Paris has overall figures of 6/73 off 10.3 overs at Perth Stadium this season. His matchup against Josh Brown (see below) is key.
• Gurinder Sandhu is yet to go wicketless in BBL 2025/26, taking ten wickets in five matches, including six in his past two encounters. He bowls at the death which brings wicket-taking opportunities.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Ashton Turner is a handy pick especially if the Scorchers bat first. He averages just 18.33 against the Renegades, but he comes into this match in good form with scores of 99* (41) and 28 (14) since December 30. He could also bowl a few overs.
• Muhammad Rizwan offers fantasy potential as he bats in the top three, but he has struggled to get going, striking at just 103.12 this season.
• Hassan Khan will be called upon with his spin and can strike a few blows down the order. He is worth trying in some of your Dream11 teams.
• Jason Behrendhorff has 43 wickets in 31 matches at Perth Stadium. He averages 18.26 with an economy of 6.83.
• Finn Allen is striking at 187.50 this season.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 22, Scorchers 16, Renegades 5, N/R 1.
• At Perth Stadium: Scorchers 4, Renegades 2.
• Joel Paris is Scorchers’ leading wicket-taker this season with 10 (avg. 17.70, SR 12.30).
• Joel Paris vs Josh Brown: Eight balls, 13 runs, one wicket.
• Will Sutherland vs Finn Allen: Four balls, Four runs, one wicket.

BBL 2025/26 26th Match: SCO vs REN Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

BBL 2025/26 26th Match: SCO vs REN Match Prediction – Who will win?

This could be a close encounter but Perth Scorchers have that extra bit of quality that can get them over the line.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.

All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, Bigbashboard and Cricmetric.