The 2025/26 edition of the Big Bash League saw the overseas player draft completed on 19 June 2025, with eight teams signing at least two overseas players for their franchise, trying to fill key gaps in their squad. Here is how the signings rank for each side and whether the signing fits their squad.

Brisbane Heat – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Tom Alsop (England)

Two time winners Brisbane Heat made a statement by acquiring the services of Pakistani superstar Shaheen Shah Afridi. Afridi can win the Heat games with the ball in all facets of a T20 game and he has improved his batting to the point where it would be unfair not to tag him as a T20 bowling all-rounder. New Zealand T20 veteran Colin Munro is retained despite a poor outing in the previous edition of the BBL. Age is not on Munro’s side and he will have to repay the faith the Heat coaches have kept on him.

Shaheen Afridi (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Tom Alsop is a peculiar overseas signing given the Heat already have Jimmy Peirson. With no Paul Walter, the Heat needed to chase after an overseas batting all rounder, with the likes of Ryan Burl, Jonathan Campbell, Lewis Gregory, Ryan Higgins, Ian Holland, Jimmy Neesham and Dwayne Pretorius available in the BBL draft.

Strongest possible Heat XI as of now – Usman Khawaja, Colin Munro (os), Nathan McSweeney, Matt Renshaw, Hugh Weighben, Jimmy Peirson, Michael Neser, Shaheen Afridi, Xavier Bartlett, Matt Kuhnemann, Spencer Johnson.

Melbourne Stars – Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Tom Curran (England), Joe Clarke (England)

The only remaining trophyless team in the BBL, Melbourne Stars went after arguably their greatest overseas signing in Haris Rauf to play for them once again. As good as Shaheen Afridi is, there is probably no other Pakistani quick best equipped for Australian conditions in T20 cricket like Haris Rauf. Tom Curran adds a handy bowling all rounder option for the Stars, averaging 20 with the bat at a strike rate of 140.89 and 21.5 at an economy of 8.4 with the ball. With Beau Webster leaving for Hobart Hurricanes, English overseas import Joe Clarke will be tasked with carrying the weight of the Stars top order.

Strongest possible Stars XI as of now – N/A with only five frontline batters and only 13 players currently contracted with the Stars.

Adelaide Strikers – Luke Wood (England), Jamie Overton (England), Hasan Ali (Pakistan)

The South Australian franchise went hard at bowling options as their overseas signings, a sign that the Strikers are relying on local talent to win them games with the bat and international experience to close out games with the ball. Luke Wood and Jamie Overton both prefer to hit a hard length with the ball while Hasan Ali will be tasked with taking wickets with the new ball. A bonus for the Strikers is that all of their overseas bowlers can hold a bat well, so do expect the Strikers lower order to win a few run chases this upcoming BBL.

Strongest possible Strikers XI as of now – Matt Short, Alex Carey, Jason Sangha, Thomas Kelly, Alex Ross, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton (os), Luke Wood (os), Hasan Ali (os), Cameron Boyce, Lloyd Pope.

Melbourne Renegades – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan), Hassan Khan (USA), Tim Seifert (New Zealand)

The signing of Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan does not make much sense given the Renegades already have so many top order batting options. Add in his slow strike rate of only 125 in T20 cricket despite mostly batting on roads in the Pakistan Super League and it’s a signing that’s waiting to fail. Hassan Khan has shown in his short Major League Cricket and Caribbean Premier League career that he is an all rounder to watch out for. Khan offers stability in the middle order with his ability to play to the situation and is a handy left arm orthodox spinner. Tim Seifert struggled for consistency in the previous BBL edition, but a demotion to the middle order as a finisher may be the best for him with the bat, while his keeping is top notch and will do the Renegades a lot of good behind the stumps.

Strongest possible Renegades XI as of now – Josh Brown, Caleb Jewell, Harry Dixon, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Hassan Khan (os), Tim Seifert (os), Will Sutherland, Fergus O’Neill, Jason Behrendorff, Brendan Doggett, Adam Zampa

Perth Scorchers – Finn Allen (New Zealand), Laurie Evans (England) David Payne (England)

On paper, the Scorchers are one of the strongest teams in the competition, and they’re backing their previous overseas signings to get them back to their title-winning ways. Finn Allen will have free rein to slog from ball one and when he gets going, he will be tough to stop. Laurie Evans’ explosiveness in the middle order will be crucial, while David Payne is tasked with the responsibility to lead the bowling attack following the loss of Jason Behrendorff to the Renegades.

Strongest possible Scorchers XI as of now – Josh Inglis, Finn Allen (os) Mitch Marsh, Cooper Connolly, Laurie Evans (os), Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Joel Paris, David Payne (os), Matt Kelly

Hobart Hurricanes – Chris Jordan (England) Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Rehan Ahmed (England)

Defending champions Hobart Hurricanes have gone hard after three bowling all rounders to lengthen the batting lineup, but primarily win games for the Hurricanes with the ball. Chris Jordan will be tasked with closing out games in the death overs and the Power Surge. Rishad Hossain is set to be the second Bangladeshi to play in the BBL and the young leg spinner will be hoping to make an impact with his top spinners and slog sweeps to the leg side. Rehan Ahmed has been unlucky carrying the drinks in England’s white ball setup due to Adil Rashid, but he can play a key part to the Hurricanes attempting to win two titles in a row.

Strongest possible Hurricanes XI as of now – Mitchell Owen, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Ben McDermott, Matthew Wade, Nikhil Chaudhary, Rishad Hossain (os), Rehan Ahmed (os), Chris Jordan (os), Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith

Sydney Sixers – Sam Curran (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Jafer Chohan (England)

Sam Curran will be enjoying coming back to Australia to play T20 cricket having won the Player of the Tournament award when the T20 World Cup was played in Australia in 2022. A left arm seamer who specialises in slower balls and yorkers, Curran is also a handy middle order bat who will win games for Sixers with bat and ball.

The signing of Babar Azam is perplexing given the Sixers batting lineup has so many T20 plodders in their top five. Having someone who barely has a power hitting game as boasts a T20 strike rate below 135 in four out of five franchise T20 tournaments says a lot about Azam’s lack of power game. The Sixers needed a powerful top order bat, and should have gone after Pakistani young gun Saim Ayub or Mohammad Haris who can give the Sixers a fast start. Young leg spinner Jafer Chohan has been retained by the Sixers after an impressive few spells in his short stint last year.

Strongest possible Sixers XI as of now – Steve Smith, Josh Phillipe, Babar Azam (os), Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Sam Curran (os), Jack Edwards, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Jafer Chohan (os), Todd Murphy

Sydney Thunder – Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Sam Billings (England)

Runners up of the previous edition, the Sydney Thunder will be hoping to go one step further and have retained two previous international signings in Billings and Ferguson while all rounder Shadab Khan is headed towards Western Sydney for the first time in his BBL career. As good as Shadab Khan is, the signing makes little sense given the Thunder already have two spin bowling all rounders and Tanveer Sangha contracted to the franchise. Perhaps a seam bowling all rounder in Jimmy Neesham, Lewis Gregory or Ian Holland would have made more sense.

Strongest possible Thunder XI as of now – David Warner, Sam Konstas, Cam Bancroft, Sam Billings (os), Ollie Davies, Shadab Khan (os), Chris Green, Daniel Sams, Tom Andrews, Lockie Ferguson (os), Tanveer Sangha