Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey

We have had a number of thrillers in the BBL in recent times, and we could be in for another here. Melbourne Stars take on Sydney Sixers in a high-profile clash at the MCG with a lot at stake.

After winning their first four matches (all chasing), the Stars have hit a wall. The Marcus Stoinis-led side have lost their past two games, where they batted first in both. With the Sixers, Strikers, Renegades and Heat just behind on six points, the Stars need to get back on track here.

The Sixers have an incredibly long batting lineup which came to the fore in a low-scoring thriller against the Heat. Chasing 115, they fell to 56/7, before Joel Davies and Hayden Kerr put on a superb partnership under pressure to seal victory.

Now, Sam Curran joins the Sixers squad to give them an even stronger feel. They bat all the way down to 11, so the Stars’ bowlers need to be on their game from over one to 20.

BBL 2025/26 27th Match: STA vs SIX Possible Playing XIs

Melbourne Stars have named an unchanged squad. They could name the same XI that lost narrowly to the Renegades.

Melbourne Stars: 1. Thomas Rogers, 2. Sam Harper (wk), 3. Campbell Kellaway, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Marcus Stoinis (c), 6. Hilton Cartwright, 7. Blake Macdonald, 8. Tom Curran (OS), 9. Mitchell Swepson, 10. Haris Rauf (OS), 11. Peter Siddle

Sam Curran is in the Sixers squad, coming in for Kane Richardson. Who he replaces is an interesting decision as Kerr was excellent in the last match.

Sydney Sixers: 1. Daniel Hughes, 2. Babar Azam (OS), 3. Josh Philippe (wk), 4. Moises Henriques (c), 5. Jordan Silk, 6. Sam Curran (OS), 7. Joel Davies, 8. Jack Edwards, 9. Ben Dwarshuis, 10. Sean Abbott, 11. Ben Manenti/Hayden Kerr

MCG Pitch Report and Weather

Teams batting first have managed scores of 158/9 and 173/9 batting first on balanced pitches at the MCG this season. The chasing team won both times, although Renegades beat Stars in a very close encounter on Sunday.

Pace bowlers have taken a total of 17 wickets at the MCG in BBL 2025/26 at an average of 27.11 and economy of 9.31. Spinners have picked up five wickets at an average of 32.6 and economy of 7.76.

A warm and mostly clear evening is forecast in Melbourne. No rain is expected, but there is a chance of dew.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for STA vs SIX 2025/26: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Sam Harper smashed 110* off 60 balls against the Sixers earlier this season. He is a C/VC candidate in fantasy cricket especially if the Stars bat second. Harper has struck 194 runs when batting second at an average of 194 and strike rate of 157.7 in BBL 2025/26.
• Josh Philippe hasn’t scored a half-century against the Stars since 2021. Also, he has scored just 27 runs in his past three innings at the MCG. Will today be his day? He is currently the Sixers’ top run-scorer this season (196).

Key batter picks:

• Glenn Maxwell has smashed 812 runs against the Sixers at an average of 45.1 and strike rate of 161.8. In matches against the Sixers at the MCG, the average increases to 66.6 with a strike rate of 170.7 (466 runs). Also, Maxwell has a strike rate of 207.7 against Ben Dwarshuis (162 runs) and 171.6 against Sean Abbott (115 runs).

Top all-rounder picks:

• Marcus Stoinis has scored 399 runs at an average of 33 and strike rate of 150 against the Sixers. 147 of these came in a single innings in 2020. He also has six wickets in five innings, including a good matchup against Josh Philippe (see below).
• Tom Curran can score even more fantasy points if Stoinis uses him at the death. That being said, Curran has taken four powerplay wickets this season at an excellent economy of 8.50 and strike rate of 12. He has a good record against Babar Azam (see below).
• Joel Davies is having a season to remember. He has scores of 34* and 35* in his past two matches plus eight wickets in his last five appearances.
• Jack Edwards is the equal-third highest wicket-taker this season (11). However, he will be looking to improve on his bowling average of 53.5 in five matches against the Stars (two wickets, 107 runs conceded).

Key bowler picks:

• Haris Rauf and Peter Siddle have the second-most wickets this season (12). Siddle took 3/23 against the Sixers in the previous meeting.
• Sean Abbott has taken 22 wickets in 16 innings against the Stars. Ben Dwarshuis has 21 scalps in 17 innings against the Stars.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Sam Curran is fresh off a player of the match performance in Sunday’s UAE ILT20 Final. He struck 74* off 51 balls.
• Babar Azam has four single-figure scores and two half-centuries in this BBL. His inconsistency does not make him an automatic pick, but he is worth a try in a few of your fantasy teams as he has the experience to make a contribution.
• Daniel Hughes is a popular pick on Dream11 (66.46%). He scored 60 against the Stars earlier this season. However, against the Stars at the MCG, Hughes has scored 152 runs at an average of 19 and strike rate of 120.6 with no half century as yet.
• Campbell Kellaway is a solid pick especially if the Stars bat first as this will likely mean he bats in the top three. Only Harper (251) and Stoinis (153) have more runs for the Stars than Kellaway’s 145 in BBL 2025/26.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 25, Stars 10, Sixers 15.
• At the MCG: Sixers 7, Stars 5.
• Melbourne Stars (145/3) beat Sydney Sixers (144) with 15 balls to spare earlier in BBL 2025/26.
• Marcus Stoinis has dismissed Sam Curran twice in 17 balls in T20s (13 runs).
• Tom Curran vs Babar Azam in all T20s: 55 balls, 51 runs, two dismissals.
• Marcus Stoinis vs Josh Philippe: 11 balls, 11 runs, two dismissals.
• Tom Curran vs Josh Philippe: Eight balls, 12 runs, one dismissal.
• Sean Abbott vs Sam Harper: 25 balls, 40 runs, no dismissals.
• Sean Abbott vs Glenn Maxwell: 67 balls, 115 runs, four dismissals.
• Sam Curran vs Marcus Stoinis: 32 balls, 58 runs, two dismissals.
• Ben Dwarshuis vs Sam Harper: 30 balls, 63 runs, three dimissals.
• Peter Siddle vs Moises Henriques: 41 balls, 41 runs, two dismissals.

BBL 2025/26 27th Match: STA vs SIX 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 27th Match: STA vs SIX Dream11 Prediction Today

This has the makings of a cracking match which is tough to call. Perhaps it’s a game for the chasing team where it goes down to the final over.

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.