The Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes will face off in the 5th match of BBL 2025, which will be held at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on Thursday. Hobart, who claimed the title last year, has already won their first game, while the Stars are chasing a strong start to this campaign after their impressive run in the previous edition.

The Hobart Hurricanes began their BBL 15 season with a confident four-wicket victory over Sydney Thunder, completing a run chase of 181 in 19.5 overs. On the other hand, after a good season last year, the Stars have refreshed their list through targeted recruitment as they chase a first BBL title.

Also Read: MS vs HB Dream11 Prediction Playing XI: 5th T20, BBL 2025-26 Fantasy Cricket Tips, Team, and Pitch Report 

STR vs HUR Match Details

• Match: Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, 5th Match 

• Date: 18th December 2025

• Time: 1.45 PM IST

• Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

STR vs HUR Weather Report

STR vs HUR Pitch Report

We expect to see more challenging batting conditions like in the past. There will be assistance for the bowlers in this game.

Top Batters to Watch – STR vs HUR

• Nikhil Chaudhary (HUR): 41 runs in this tournament 

• Ben McDermott (HUR): 38 runs in this tournament 

• Mitchell Owen (HUR): 32 runs in this tournament 

Top Bowlers to Watch – STR vs HUR

• Billy Stanlake (HUR): 3 wickets in this tournament 

• Chris Jordan (HUR): 2 wickets in this tournament 

• Nathan Ellis (HUR): 1 wickets in this tournament 

STR vs HUR Recent Form

STR vs HUR Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If STR Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 40–45

• Predicted Total: 140–155

• Match Result: HUR to win

Scenario 2: If HUR Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 45–50

• Predicted Total: 160–165

• Match Result: HUR to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

STR vs HUR Predicted Playing XIs

Melbourne Stars

Joe Clarke (wk), Campbell Kellaway, Sam Harper, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis (c), Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran, Liam Hatcher, Haris Rauf, Mitch Swepson, Peter Siddle

Hobart Hurricanes

Mitchell Owen, Nikhil Chaudhary, Rehan Ahmed, Ben McDermott, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w), Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis(c), Rishad Hossain, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake

STR vs HUR Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

Based on current form, team balance, and superior bowling strength, Hobart Hurricanes are favourites to win this BBL match. Mitchell Owen, Nikhil Chaudhary and Nathan Ellis are expected to be the key performers.

STR vs HUR Match FAQs

Just a few days after the retirement of the premier all-rounder, Andre Russell, from the IPL along with Faf du Plessis, who moved on from the league to feature in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 along with Moeen Ali, another star member of the event, Glenn Maxwell, decided to take the same route ahead of the mini auction of the 2026 season’s Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Glenn Maxwell has been a long-time servant in the IPL thanks to his 2819runs in 135 innings at an average of 23.88 and a strike rate of 155.14 with the help of 18 half-centuries at the best score of 95. His best season during the competition came in 2014 when he smashed 552 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 187.75 with four fifties.

See Also: Watch: Kids welcome Virat Kohli with roses ahead of IND vs SA 2nd ODI in Raipur

In the last couple of editions of the IPL, the right-handed batter collected only 100 runs in 15 innings at an average of around 6.50 and a strike rate of 109, with the best score of 30. His form has fallen out massively in the last couple of seasons.

Glenn Maxwell decides to refuse to enter his name in IPL 2026 mini auction

Maxwell, who was part of the Punjab Kings, was dropped from the squad as their head coach, Ricky Ponting, informed that, looking at their squad, there was no way Maxwell would have been made into their starting eleven, which was why they decided to release the all-rounder ahead of the new season.

“I love Glenn and what he brings to the game. Unfortunately, last season we weren’t able to get the best out of him. Looking ahead to next season, we didn’t feel he would be part of our starting team, so we decided to release him.” Head coach Ponting expressed during an interaction on Star Sports.

The auction register lists exactly 1355 players with leading international names from England, Australia, and South Africa filling the 13-page Excel sheet. Post the retentions, the deadline for that was November 15, the 10 IPL franchises have IPL 237.55 crore collectively to get their players.

The former Indian opening batter, Aakash Chopra, has dropped a massive claim that their all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell, might not find any takers ahead of the IPL 2026 auction after being released by the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He added that the spin-bowling all-rounder might not then put his name in the auction. 

Maxwell was one of the five players released by the Punjab Kings ahead of the next Indian Premier League, along with Praveen Dubey, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, and Kuldeep Sen. In the recent video from the opening batter, Aakash Chopra, on his YouTube channel, he wondered if it was the end of Maxwell in IPL.

See Also: Watch: Rajasthan Royals reveals new head coach in special video ahead of IPL 2026

“They have said that they will let Maxwell go. Maxwell was for ₹4.20 crore. Mitchell Owen had come in his place. Mitchell Owen was retained, and Maxwell was let go. Is it the end of an era? Why am I saying it's an era? He has earned ₹101 crore from the IPL.” Chopra expressed in the video.

Aakash Chopra wonders about Glenn Maxwell's end ahead of IPL 2026

Maxwell has overall smashed 2819 runs in the 135 innings of the IPL at an average of 23.88 and a strike rate of 155.14 with the help of 18 half-centuries at the best score of 95. In the last two seasons, he got 100 runs in 23 innings.

“I don't grudge anybody's money. I want them to make ₹100 crore in one season. Players should get that kind of money because it's a multi-billion-dollar league. It's possible someone could be interested, and it's also possible no one could be interested. He might put his name, or he might not even put his name. So that's going to be an interesting one.” Chopra addressed.

“They don't need to buy much. They can find a middle-order batter because Josh Inglis is going. They could maybe look towards Cooper Connolly, and if they could get a backup pacer, and that's about it. They don't need too much. An Indian backup spinner and an overseas backup pacer with Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, and Marco Jansen. They are a good team, and they have the money.” The former Indian opener concluded.

The IPL 2026 retention window saw a range of surprising exits in recent seasons, with the celebrated Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the forefront of the story, notably after parting ways with the Australian star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and England wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis. Fans and analysts were surprised by this decision from PBKS, especially given that they had also been spotted retaining at least one of the two proven match-winners. PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting has now offered a clear rationale behind the move, claiming that Inglis’ poor availability and Maxwell's diminishing form contributed to the decision to part ways with them.

Ponting said, while Josh Inglis is a talented and versatile wicketkeeper-batter, his international commitments meant he would be unavailable for much of the IPL. Following an international tour, a team in need of stability and continuity cannot increase its reliance on a player who is not available for most fixtures, as Ponting pointed out. He also mentioned he would like to have Inglis as part of the squad, but the team had to make a tough decision due to concerns about him being available.

The decision to release Glenn Maxwell was based on his actual performance; he struggled in IPL 2025, scoring only 48 runs and taking 4 wickets in seven matches, and therefore didn't play with the effectiveness we know he can. In fact, Ponting said that PBKS "couldn’t get the best out of him" last season, and as they plan for IPL 2026, they didn’t see him as part of their starting XI. Given that the franchise wanted to build a tougher and balanced outfit, it didn't make sense to sign Maxwell at the price PBKS signed him for. After finishing as runners-up in 2025, PBKS has now retained 21 players, going into the mini-auction, we went in with 4 slots empty, with 2 for overseas players.

See Also: Watch: Ravindra Jadeja's double-wicket over rocks back South Africa during IND vs SA 1st Test

Ponting’s Vision in the Punjab Kings’ Rebuild

Ponting’s comments reinforce PBKS’ change in philosophy to want to build a squad that’s more focused on consistency and availability. With Shreyas Iyer continuing as captain, it’s their hope that by plugging up any holes, they will also be able to find players who can show up through the season without missing time for any reason.

Leading into the December 16 mini-auction, PBKS is expected to target players who provide a multi-utility (form and reliability) with their international contingent playing a large part in the overhaul plan heading into IPL 2026.

The former Indian opening batter, Kris Srikkanth, lauded the spinner of the Blue Brigade, Varun Chakravarthy, for another brilliant spell of bowling during the ongoing five-match T20I series against Australia down under. During the fourth fixture in Gold Coast, the mystery spinner finished with 1/26 in four overs with the massive wicket of Glenn Maxwell. 

Srikkanth specifically pointed out the struggling battle of Maxwell, who was shaking in his boots at the thought of facing the Tamil Nadu spinner. The latter dismissed the Australia all-rounder for a record fifth time in T20s in just 33 deliveries as the right-handed batter gave himself room but couldn’t get it on the blade.

See Also: Hong Kong Sixes 2025, Pool C: India vs Pakistan full match highlights and scorecard

“Glenn Maxwell shakes in his boots whenever Varun Chakaravarthy comes on to bowl. Varun picks up certain batters like a rabbit. Especially when he sees Maxwell, he gobbles him up like a piece of cake. The T20 World Cup is around the corner. So he doesn't have much time. He has to regain his form and get used to the No. 3 position.” Srikkanth expressed during a video on his YouTube channel.

Kris Srikkanth roasts Glenn Maxwell’s battle against Varun Chakravarthy during AUS vs IND 4th T20I  

India posted 167/8 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to small contributions from several batters in the line-up. In reply, the hosts were bundled out for just 119 runs as the three spinners- Varun, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar shared a combined figures of 6/42 in 9.2 overs.

“You cannot keep on shifting and rotating the order. There has to be a set order with the limited time before the World Cup. They escaped today, and the trial-and-error philosophy is fine for now. But at some point, there has to be a conclusion. Maybe from the South Africa series, as it's in India.” The former Indian opener reckoned.

“What I don't understand is that he is playing as a spin-bowling all-rounder. He is a spinner who can bat and not a batter who bowls spin. He first came into the Indian side for his spin-bowling, but only with his opening spells for Pune in the IPL. That's how Washington Sundar came into prominence.” Srikkanth reflected after the fourth T20I.

India takes the lead by defeating the home team, Australia, in the 4th match (AUS vs IND 4th T20I) of the 5-match T20I series. Australia bowled according to their plan, but it was their batting department that let them down—let them down in a poor manner.

Against India's first innings of 167 runs, Australia could score only 119, losing all of their wickets in 18.2. As a senior player and match winner, Glenn Maxwell was in their lineup, but he too remained ineffective because of the ace spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Chakravarthy took the ball away from the right-handed batter to disturb the bails. The red light installed in bail started to blink; Maxwell had to depart. He faced only 4 balls and scored a couple runs before heading back to the pavilion.

Unlike their middle and lower-middle order, the opening pair of the home team did pretty well against the competitive target. Captain Mitchell Marsh and Matt Short scored 30 and 25 runs, respectively. The surface of the Heritage Bank Stadium was a little bit on the slower side.

Read More: WATCH: PM Narendra Modi surprise to hear this question from Women's World Cup 2025 winning team India star Harleen Deol

Varun Chakravarthy clean bowled Glenn Maxwell 

When India was batting in the first innings, the Australian bowlers were applying slower balls to unsettle the batters. Nathan Ellis tried to control Team India's run rate by producing outside-off deliveries. Varun did the same against Maxwell. Maxwell stepped out of the crease to hit the ball hard. By the time the bowler anticipated the move in advance and offered the batter a wider delivery. Maxwell missed the ball; the ball hit the stumps. In his 4-over quota, Chakravarthy took one wicket at an economy rate of 6.50. 

Glen maxwell was dismissed by Varun pic.twitter.com/VicbLGdLNj

— SECONDSELF (@itzsecondself) November 6, 2025

The fifth match, which is the last of the tour, will decide the fate of the 5-match T20I series. If India wins, they will win the contest by 3-1, and if Australia wins, then the series will be ended in a balance with a 2-2 scoreline. The next match is scheduled to be held on November 8 at The Gabba. 

India and Australia faced each other today in the fourth T20I of the five-match series at the Carrara Oval in Queensland. With both teams winning one game each so far, this match is important as the winner will take a 2-1 lead in the series. However, Australia are missing their opening batter Travis Head in this game, and Matthew Short is opening the innings with captain Mitchell Marsh.

The reason for Head’s absence is that Australia have already started preparing for the upcoming Ashes series at home against England. The first Test will begin on November 21, and several Test players, including Travis Head, are playing in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s domestic red-ball tournament, to get ready for the big series.

The next round of Sheffield Shield matches will start on November 10, and Head will play for South Australia against Tasmania at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. Australia will surely miss Head in the T20I series, but the Ashes is their main focus right now.

Also Read -[WATCH] Shivam Dube picks up massive wicket of Tim David during AUS vs IND 4th T20I

Glenn Maxwell Returns for Australia

Glenn Maxwell has replaced Travis Head in Australia’s line-up as the all-rounder returns after recovering from a freak injury he suffered in the nets before the T20I series against New Zealand last month.

Sean Abbott, who played the last match, is also missing as he has been released to take part in the next round of Sheffield Shield matches. Overall, Australia have made four changes to their playing XI for this game.

Australia Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (w), Tim David, Josh Philippe, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

The New South Wales all-rounder, Jack Edwards, has been called for his first international series, while Glenn Maxwell and Ben Dwarhuis are fit to return for the last few games of the five-match T20I series against India, with the young quick pacer, Mahil Beardman, also called up for the T20Is. Cricket Australia confirmed the host of changes for two white-ball squads. 

Marnus Labuschagne has been released from Australia's ODI squad ahead of the final game in Sydney. Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abnott will miss the back-end of the T20I series as the latter will leave the third T20I in Hobart while recovering from a split webbing in his hand.

See Also: [WATCH] Rohit Sharma to retire in AUS vs IND 3rd ODI in Sydney? Veteran's chat with Gautam Gambhir leaked

Matthew Kuhnemann was recalled to the squad for the third game in Sydney alongside Edwards. Josh Philippe has been added to the T20I squad as the back-up option of Alex Carey, with Josh Inglis yet to return to full fitness from his calf strain.

Glenn Maxwell returns for Australia’s T20I series against India

Maxwell will return for the last three T20Is after being ruled out of the first two games and the New Zealand trip due to fracturing his wrist. Dwarshuis has been named for the fourth and fifth clashes in Queensland. It’s a surprise call-up for the 20-year-old Bradman for the last three T20Is.

Edwards’ call-up to the 50-over squad has come on the back of some fabulous performances for the Australia A side on their recent tour of India. He made 88 in the second four-day game in Lucknow and took 4/56 and smashed 89 off 75 in the second and third 50-over games in Kanpur, respectively.

His addition to the squad provides the national side a chance to trial an all-rounder-heavy line-up in the dead rubber in Sydney. This would present a chance for the management to rest either one or both of Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the third game.

Australia’s T20I squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott (first three matches only), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (last three matches only), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (last two matches only), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell (last three matches only), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Veteran Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell recently unveiled his combined Australia-India-England ODI XI, sparking interest among cricket fans worldwide. The 37-year-old shared his selections in a video released by Fox Cricket on their official YouTube channel on Tuesday, October 14.

The announcement comes just days before India’s highly anticipated white-ball tour of Australia, which promises exciting contests between the world’s top teams. Maxwell’s picks reflect his understanding of the modern ODI format and the standout players who have dominated in recent years.

India’s tour of Australia begins on October 19 with a three-match ODI series, followed by five T20 internationals. The series will serve as a key build-up for both sides ahead of next year’s major ICC tournaments.

See Also: Can Hardik Pandya make comeback in Indian team? Know all-rounder's latest fitness update

Glenn Maxwell’s Combined ODI XI Features India-Australia Stars, Excludes England Players:

For the opening pair, Glenn Maxwell had to choose between Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, and Mark Waugh. Without hesitation, he picked the iconic Indian duo — Rohit and Sachin — to open his dream ODI lineup.

When it came to the middle order, Maxwell had another tough choice among Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Ricky Ponting, Eoin Morgan, Michael Clarke, and Michael Bevan. He selected Kohli at the crucial No. 3 position, followed by Australia’s legendary captain Ricky Ponting and consistent finisher Michael Bevan, forming a strong and balanced middle order.

For the all-rounder position, Glenn Maxwell chose Shane Watson, preferring him over notable names like Yuvraj Singh, Kapil Dev, Andrew Symonds, Mark Waugh, Andrew Flintoff, and Ben Stokes. In the wicket-keeping role, he went with former Indian captain MS Dhoni, picking him ahead of legendary options such as Adam Gilchrist and England’s Jos Buttler.

In the bowling section, Glenn Maxwell had an impressive list of options to choose from, including Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Adam Zampa, Darren Gough, and James Anderson. The selection featured some of the finest pacers and spinners from India, Australia, and England’s cricketing history.

At No. 8, Glenn Maxwell selected former Australian speedster Brett Lee, known for his fiery pace and 380 ODI wickets. He chose Anil Kumble as his lead spinner and added India’s ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the best across formats, at No. 10.

To complete his lineup, Maxwell included the legendary Glenn McGrath at No. 11, emphasizing his consistency and control. Interestingly, his combined Australia-India-England ODI XI did not feature a single English cricketer, highlighting the dominance of Indian and Australian players in his all-time selection.

Glenn Maxwell Reveals His Ultimate Australia-India-England Combined ODI XI:

Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, Michael Bevan, Shane Watson, MS Dhoni (WK), and Glenn McGrath

In a major update for fans of Australian cricket, star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell provided the good newsthat he's optimistic he can return to full fitness to play in the final three T20Is against India. The Men in Blue will tour Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is, starting on October 19. Maxwell, who continues to focus on T20 cricket following his ODI retirement, was sidelined from the squad for the New Zealand series due to a wrist injury.

The injury occurred when Maxwell was struck on the hand by a powerful shot from Mitchell Owen during a practice session, forcing him to undergo surgery. Speaking about his recovery, the Australian all-rounder shared that the operation was necessary to improve his chances of participating in the India series.

"I think having the surgery last week sort of gives me a little bit more hope of playing some part in that India series, if I can get myself right. The only reason I had the surgery was that the options they gave me were to miss that series completely or have surgery, and it gives me a slim chance to hopefully play a part. And if not, I'll be ready earlier for the BBL, and I think it leaves me in good standing to get the rest of my body right," Maxwell said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Maxwell Opens Up on His Injury and Recovery Process

It is worth noting that Cricket Australia has so far announced the squad only for the first two T20Is against India. Maxwell revealed that the injury was purely accidental and unfortunate, as the ball hit directly on the bone rather than on the flesh, which would have made a big difference.

See Also: India’s assistant coach confirms unchanged playing XI for second Test against West Indies

Reflecting on the incident, he humorously added that he now prefers not to bowl to big-hitters like Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Mitchell Owen, to avoid any similar accidents in the future. Despite the setback, Maxwell remains optimistic about making a strong comeback later in the series or at the very least before the Big Bash League.