The Big Bash League is Australia’s professional Twenty20 cricket league, which was founded in 2011 by Cricket Australia. It replaced the earlier KFC Twenty20 Big Bash and introduced eight city-based franchises. The winner of BBL 14 (2024/25) was the Hobart Hurricanes, who defeated the Sydney Thunder by 7 wickets in the final.
The Perth Scorchers are the league’s most successful team with five titles. The Sydney Sixers have three titles. The Brisbane Heat has two. The Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, and Hobart Hurricanes each have one. The only team yet to win a title is the Melbourne Stars.
The Big Bash League pays its players through a four-tier salary system. In 2025, top international stars in the Platinum category can earn up to A$420,000 for the season. Gold-tier players can earn up to A$190,000, including well-known international players and top Australian talent. Silver-tier players, which include dependable domestic players, can make up to A$127,000. The Bronze tier offers up to A$63,000 for young players and depth options.
Highest-Paid BBL Players in 2025
| Player | Team | Salary (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam | Sydney Sixers | Up to $420,000 |
| Shaheen Afridi | Brisbane Heat | $420,000 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Melbourne Renegades | $270,000 |
| Chris Jordan | Hobart Hurricanes | $270,000 |
| Sam Curran | Sydney Sixers | $270,000 |
| Haris Rauf | Melbourne Stars | $270,000 |
Babar Azam – A$420,000 (INR 2.39)
Babar Azam is the highest-paid player in the BBL for the 2025–26 season. The Sydney Sixers signed him in the Platinum category, which gives him a salary of up to A$420,000 for the season, or about INR 2.35 crore. His final payment depends on his full availability, but if he plays the entire season, he receives the full A$420,000.
Babar’s signing is a major boost for the Big Bash League, which has been looking for big global stars. His move to the BBL also comes at an important moment in his career, as Pakistan asked him to work on his T20 strike rate after leaving him out of the 2025 Asia Cup squad. A strong season with the Sixers on Australian pitches could help him push for a T20I comeback.
Shaheen Afridi – A$420,000 (INR 2.39)
Shaheen Afridi will earn a major salary in his first Big Bash League season with Brisbane Heat. He was picked as the number one draft choice and placed in the Platinum category, which puts his earnings at up to A$420,000 (around INR 2.39 crore) if he is available for the full season. His payment changes based on availability. He gets A$420,000 for a full season, A$400,000 for ten matches, A$380,000 for nine matches, and A$360,000 for eight matches.
Mohammad Rizwan – A$270,000
Muhammad Rizwan will play for the Melbourne Renegades in BBL 15 after being selected with Pick 3 in the overseas draft. His approximate 2025 salary is AUD 270,000. Rizwan joins the Renegades as one of the world’s most reliable T20 keeper-batters. He has scored 3414 T20I runs for Pakistan with an average of 47.41 and a strike rate of 125.37, along with 30 fifties and one century. He was also named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2021.
Sam Curran – A$270,000
Sam Curran will play for the Sydney Sixers in BBL 15 and will earn AUD 270,000 for the 2025 season. He was picked in the Platinum category, which places him among the highest-paid international players in the league.
This will be Curran’s first Big Bash stint. The Sixers selected him as their top draft pick, seeing value in his all-round ability and his past success in Australia, including being named Player of the Tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Curran hopes the BBL will help him push for a return to England’s T20 squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Chris Jordan – A$270,000
Chris Jordan’s 2025 BBL salary is approximately AUD 270,000. He earns this amount as part of his multi-year overseas contract with the Hobart Hurricanes for BBL|14 and BBL|15. Jordan has bowled 53 innings in the BBL, taking 52 wickets while conceding 1579 runs. His bowling average stands at 30.37, with a strike rate of 20.69 and an economy rate of 8.8. His best bowling performance in the league is 3 for 19.
Haris Rauf – A$270,000
Haris Rauf will earn about AUD 270,000 in BBL 2025 as a Platinum-level overseas signing. Melbourne Stars used their retention pick to keep him after Adelaide Strikers tried to take him with pick No. 2. Rauf was one of the top Pakistan players targeted in the draft, alongside Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan.
