The Hobart Hurricanes (HBH) and Melbourne Stars (MLS) square off today at Bellerive Oval in a BBL knockout match that will decide who advances to the BBL 15 final. Today January 21, 2026, and both teams arrive at this do-or-die moment with contrasting stories. The Hurricanes are defending champions, having claimed their maiden title in BBL 14, and they’re chasing back-to-back trophies in their eighth knockout appearance. The Stars, meanwhile, have reached the finals in 10 of the 15 BBL seasons but are still searching for their first-ever championship. One team will keep their dream alive tonight. The other goes home. Let’s Break down with expert analysis, betting insights, team performance, pitch report, and BBL Knockout game between HBH vs MLS today match prediction. Who will win today’s match?
Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars | Knockout Match
Series: Big Bash League 2025–26
Date: 21 January 2026
Time: 7:30 PM LOCAL, 8:30 AM GMT, 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Live Streaming: Jio Hotstar & Star Sports Network
Team Performance
Hobart Hurricanes: Team Preview & Performance
The Hobart Hurricanes have been brilliant in BBL 15. Their batting and bowling units are firing together this season. They grabbed third spot on the table and booked their place in the knockouts.
Things haven’t gone their way lately though. They’ve dropped their last two games—one got rained out and the other saw them go down to the Brisbane Heat.
After a week’s rest, they’re up against the Stars. This one’s massive. Win and they’re in the final. Lose and they’re done. There’s bad news on the captaincy front. Nathan Ellis picked up an injury against the Heat and won’t play in the knockout. They’ll assess him over the next few days to see if he can feature later in the finals. Ben McDermott takes over as captain. The squad does get a boost with experienced quick Jackson Bird coming in.
The Hurricanes won it all last year in BBL 14—their first trophy. They’ve now made the knockouts eight times, and right now they look good enough to go back-to-back.
Melbourne Stars: Team Preview & Recent Performance
The Melbourne Stars have been outstanding throughout the tournament. They’ve played 10 matches, winning six and losing four. What’s impressive is their chasing record—they’ve successfully chased in six out of ten games. Their batting and bowling units are both in good shape.
This knockout clash could see them crack another win against the Hurricanes. The two teams already met in the opening match of the season. Skipper Marcus Stoinis has led the team brilliantly to get them to this stage. Like the Hurricanes, it’s do or die for the Stars—win and they’re in the final, lose and they’re out of BBL 15.
The Stars are one of the most consistent teams in BBL history, making the finals in 10 out of 15 seasons. Despite that success, they’ve never won the trophy. This time around they look strong enough to finally break that drought, and they’ll be coming out hard against the Hurricanes in this one. According to the latest news, there are no changes to their squad.
Most Runs – BBL | 15 BKT Golden Bat
| Player | Total Runs |
|---|---|
| David Warner | 433 |
| Finn Allen | 430 |
| Sam Harper | 371 |
| Aaron Hardie | 334 |
| Matthew Renshaw | 324 |
| Mitch Marsh | 316 |
| Josh Brown | 311 |
| Liam Scott | 310 |
Most Wickets – BBL | 15 BKT Golden Arm
| Player | Total Wickets |
|---|---|
| Gurinder Sandhu | 18 |
| Haris Rauf | 18 |
| Jack Edwards | 17 |
| Peter Siddle | 16 |
| Tom Curran | 15 |
| Xavier Bartlett | 15 |
| Lloyd Pope | 15 |
| Cooper Connolly | 15 |
HBH vs MLS Today’s Match Weather Condition:
- Temperature: 20.1°C
- Humidity: 53%
- Rain: 70% Rain of chance
- Wind direction: SSE
- Wind speed: 10.1 KPH
Also, check live BBL match betting odds on trusted cricket betting sites.
HBH vs MLS Today’s Match Pitch Report & Condition
For today’s BBL 15 Knockout on January 21, 2026, the pitch at Bellerive Oval (Ninja Stadium) should offer something for everyone. Teams have been putting up around 182 in the first innings this season, so we’re in for a decent scoring game. The surface has good pace and bounce, which batters love, but there’s a twist—the cool evening breeze rolling in from the sea usually helps the quicks swing it early on during the Power play.
Winning the toss matters here. Recent matches have gone both ways, but most captains are choosing to bowl first. They want to make use of that early movement and avoid dealing with any dew that might come later under the lights.
HBH vs MLS – Probable Playing XI (BBL Knockout Match 2026)
Hobart Hurricanes Predicted Playing XI:
Ben McDermott (c), Matthew Wade (wk), Tim Ward, Mitchell Owen, Beau Webster, Nikhil Chaudhary, Chris Jordan, Jackson Bird, Rishad Hossain, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake
Melbourne Stars Predicted Playing XI:
Sam Harper (wk), Marcus Stoinis (c), Joe Clarke, Thomas Fraser Rogers, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran, Mitchell Swepson, Haris Rauf, Peter Siddle, Liam Hatcher
HBH vs MLS – BBL Head-to-Head Records
Total Matches Played: 23
Hobart Hurricanes Won: 8
Melbourne Stars Won: 15
Tie / No Result: 0
First-Ever BBL Match
Date: January 9, 2012
Venue: Bellerive Oval
Result: Melbourne Stars won by 19 runs
Most Recent BBL Match
Date: December 18, 2025
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Result: Melbourne Stars won by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Marcus Stoinis
BBL match Prediction: Team chasing are favourites to win today’s BBL Knockout Match 2026.
Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars | BBL Knockout Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Match toss prediction: HBH to win the toss and opt to bowl first
MLS scores: 170–180
Who will win today’s match: HBH to win today’s BBL Knockout Match 2026
Scenario 2
Match toss prediction: MLS to win the toss and opt to bowl first
HBH scores: 175–185
Who will win today’s match: HBH to win today’s BBL Knockout Match 2026
Today Match Winning Percentage
BBL Betting Insights for HBH vs MLS BBL Knockout Match 2026
- Who will win the toss Today: HBH to win the toss and elect to Bowl first.
- Top Batter Performance: Glenn Maxwell
- Top Bowler Performance: Peter Siddle
- Today’s BBL betting tips: Team bowling first are safe bet to play today’s BBL Knockout match 2026.