Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Brisbane Heat, who are currently in seventh place, can move to equal-second on the BBL table with victory today at the Gabba. That is how close the table is and what is at stake for the hosts.

In a boost, they welcome back Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne after the Ashes series came to an end on Thursday. Both are in the squad and will give the batting an injection of quality and experience.

Last time out, the Heat nearly defended 114 against Sydney Sixers at Coffs Harbour. They come up against a struggling Sydney Thunder team who have been ordinary with the ball for most of the tournament and have lacked any batting consistency beyond David Warner.

In the perfect summation of their season, the Thunder failed to chase 166 in Adelaide despite Warner batting the entire 20 overs. Now, with their season over, it will be interesting to see what the Thunder produce.

BBL 2025/26 29th Match: HEA vs THU Possible Playing XIs

Pakistan’s Zaman Khan also joins the Brisbane Heat squad as an international replacement player. It will be interesting to see how the Heat organise their batting lineup.

If they stick with Jack Wildermuth as opener, they will have to figure out where Khawaja, Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney bat. Or, does Colin Munro come back with Wildermuth moving to the middle order?

Brisbane Heat: 1. Jack Wildermuth, 2. Usman Khawaja (c), 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Matt Renshaw, 5. Nathan McSweeney/Hugh Weibgen, 6. Max Bryant, 7. Jimmy Peirson (wk), 8. Xavier Bartlett, 9. Matthew Kuhnemann, 10. Oli Patterson/Thomas Balkin, 11. Zaman Khan (OS)

Sydney Thunder have named an unchanged squad. They may stick with the same XI or bring Cameron Bancroft in.

Sydney Thunder: 1. Matthew Gilkes, 2. David Warner (c), 3. Sam Konstas/Cameron Bancroft, 4. Sam Billings (OS, wk), 5. Nic Maddinson, 6. Daniel Sams, 7. Chris Green, 8. David Willey (OS), 9. Nathan McAndrew, 10. Tanveer Sangha, 11. Wes Agar

Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report and Weather

Teams batting first have struck scores at 257/6, 179/9 and 195/6 at the Gabba this season. The chasing team have won twice, including the Heat’s incredible chase of 258 against the Scorchers in December.

Pace bowlers have taken 26 wickets on this ground in BBL 2025/26 at an average of 36.35 and high economy of 11.20. Spinners have picked up 10 wickets at an average of 29.2 and economy of 8.59.

A warm and partly cloudy afternoon is forecast. There is a slight chance of a shower but conditions should be fine. Dew won’t be a factor as this is an afternoon game starting at 3pm local time.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for HEA vs THU 2025/26: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Matthew Gilkes won player of the match against the Heat earlier this season (76 off 48 balls).

Key batter picks:

• Usman Khawaja should enjoy the freedom that T20 batting provides. He smashed 94 at a strike rate of 170.91 against the Thunder in his last meeting in 2023.
• Matt Renshaw is the fourth-highest run-scorer in the BBL with 245 runs at an average of 35.00 and strike rate of 157.05.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Daniel Sams has taken 24 wickets against Brisbane Heat at an average of 16.8 and strike rate of 11.1. He has a good matchup against Matt Renshaw (below). Also, Sams strikes at 188.1 with the bat against the Heat.
• Jack Wildermuth is a key player for the Heat. He took 2/25 against the Thunder earlier this season. He will contribute with the ball again, but check the final team sheet to see where he’s batting before deciding on c/vc in Dream11 fantasy cricket.

Key bowler picks:

• Xavier Bartlett loves bowling at the Gabba, taking 34 wickets in 21 innings at an average of 18.3 and strike rate of 13.1.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Marnus Labuschagne, like Usman Khawaja, can also enjoy the freedom of batting in T20s. He has scored 105 runs in three matches against the Thunder at an average of 35.00 and strike rate of 131.25.
• Sam Konstas produced his only half-century of the season (63 off 45 balls) against the Brisbane Heat in December.
• Thunder need a contribution from Sam Billings. Since 2021, he has scored 174 runs against the Heat at an average of 43.50 and strike rate of 155.36.
• Matt Kuhnemann has an average of 20.88 and economy of 8.35 against the Thunder (8 wickets).
• Zaman Khan bowls in the death overs and can pick wickets. Worth considering.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 22, Heat 14, Thunder 8, N/R 1.
• At the Gabba: Heat 6, Thunder 2, N/R 1.
• Marnus Labuschagne has struggled in T20s at the Gabba: 12 inns, 225 runs, avg. 18.75, SR 123.63.
• Xavier Bartlett vs Matthew Gilkes: 26 balls, 41 runs, 1 wicket.
• Matt Kuhnemann vs Sam Billings: 9 balls, 7 runs, 1 wicket.
• Daniel Sams vs Matt Renshaw: 11 balls, 6 runs, 2 wickets.

BBL 2025/26 29th Match: HEA vs THU 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 29th Match: HEA vs THU Match Prediction – Who will win?

Brisbane Heat to win.

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.