Melbourne Stars Journey & Prep for BBL 13 Sneak Peek

Melbourne Stars is a domestic team that participates in the Australian T20 league which is often known as the Big Bash League. This team has been a part of incredible BBL matches and season and is one of the unluckiest teams not to win any BBL Trophy. This team has reached the finals three times and just could not make it in the end. 

This blog will discuss a general description of this Victorian side taking part in one of the most respected tournaments of cricket in the world. Furthermore, we will go through a quick squad analysis, teams past performances, rivalries, and preparation for the upcoming BBL season starting on December 7, 2023.

Melbourne Stars statistical Analysis in BBL History

Stars have been phenomenal in their overall comparison since the inception of BIG BASH League in 2011. Many legendary names of the cricket world have been a part of this absolute powerhouse team that includes the names like Kevin Pieterson, Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga, David Hussey, etc. 

However, these teams who are popular teams in the tournament, known for their explosive batting and fierce bowling attacks could not win any BBL trophy. This team has been runners up in three seasons and reached the semi finals 5 times but still could not manage to win the ultimate prize. Here is the year wise analysis of the Stars team with their position and points in the league.

Season	Matches Played	Win	Loss	No Result	Points	NRR	Position	Finals
2011–12	7	4	3	0	8	+0.254	4th	Semi-finals
2012–13	8	5	3	0	10	+0.246	3rd	Semi-finals
2013–14	8	8	0	0	16	+2.189	1st	Semi-finals
2014–15	8	5	3	0	10	+0.336	4th	Semi-finals
2015–16	8	5	3	0	10	+0.366	2nd	Runners-up
2016–17	8	4	4	0	8	+0.397	4th	Semi-finals
2017–18	10	2	8	0	8	−0.926	8th	Nil
2018–19	14	7	7	0	14	−0.062	4th	Runners-up
2019–20	14	10	4	0	20	+0.526	1st	Runners-Up
2020–21	14	5	8	1	24	0.140	7th	Nil
2021–22	14	7	7	0	26	-0.222	6th	Nil
2022–23	14	3	11	0	6	-0.287	8th	Nil

Melbourne Derby:

Representing the same city, Melbourne teams have developed a great competition among them to stay on top. Stars have dominated the Melbourne Derby over the years due to their stellar performances. Every year both teams face off against each other in their home and away venues to entertain the crowd.

Melbourne Stars	Head to Head	Melbourne Renegades
24	Total matches	24
15	Won	9
171	Highest Team Total	208
57	Lowest Team Total	108
Glenn Maxwell (547)	Most Runs	Aaron Finch (622)
Adam Zampa (18)	Most Wickets	Kane Richardson (14)

Melbourne Stars Preliminary Squad for BBL 2023-24:

Here is the Stars squad announced for the Big Bash Season 13 starting on December 7, 2023.

Player Name	Role	Nationality	Batting Style	Bowling style
Harry Brook	Batsman	England	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Joe Burns	Batsman	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Hilton Cartwright	Batsman	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Campbell Kellaway	Batsman	Australia	Left-handed	Left-arm orthodox
Nick Larkin	Batsman	Australia	Right-handed	Nil
Sam Harper	Batsman /Wk	Australia	Right-handed	Nil
Tom Rogers	Australia	Left-handed	Nil	-
Nathan Coulter-Nile	All-Rounder	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Marcus Stoinis	All-Rounder	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Glenn Maxwell	All-Rounder	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm off break
Imad Wasim	All-Rounder	Pakistan	Left-handed	Left-arm off break
Beau Webster	All-Rounder	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium & Right-arm off break
Scott Boland	Bowler	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm fast-medium
Brody Couch	Bowler	Australia	Right-handed	Right-arm medium
Haris Rauf	Bowler	Pakistan	Right-handed	Right-arm fast
Usama Mir	Bowler	Pakistan	Right-handed	Right-arm leg spin

Key Players for the Stars in the upcoming Big Bash League:

For the upcoming BBL season 13, The Stars have a star-studded lineup, featuring some of the biggest names in Australian cricket. They've got players like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Nathan Coulter Nile, who have all represented the national team. 

On the overseas picks, they have one of the fastest bowlers Haris Rauf in their squad while Harry Brook, who has been a phenomenal find for England Cricket in the recent past is also a part of this team.

Usama Mir who is a leg break bowler and a handy striker of the ball in the death overs is also picked up by this team. Imad Wasim who is Pakistani Allrounder has also been roped in by the Stars for the later stages of the league. These guys bring a lot of experience and skill to the team.

Preparation and Challenges for Stars in BBL 2024:

Stars have made good picks in the BBL drafts where the management coaching staff tried to cover all the basics with excellent batting line up of the order and then in the middle order, they have the world class all-rounders like Maxwell and Stoinis who can even bowl exceptionally well. From a fast bowling perspective, Haris Rauf and Scott Boland have played some sublime cricket for Melbourne Stars and Imad Waism, Glenn Maxwell and Usama Mir will lead the spin bowling attack.

Home Ground & Fans Support For Stars:

The team is based in Melbourne, Victoria, and their home ground is the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This stadium has a capacity of managing more than 1000,00 spectators and therefore It's always a treat to watch them play in front of a packed crowd at the MCG, with their fans cheering them on. Although they couldn't manage to win any trophy, fans really support their team and have a belief that the team will do better this season.

Big Bash League 2023-24 Winning Prediction about Stars:

Over the years, the Stars have had some great seasons and have reached the finals multiple times. They've come close to winning the title but haven't quite clinched it yet. This Year, Melbourne Stars have gathered a good squad which has depth in their batting, bowling, and fielding department as well. So, this team is among the favourites to win the league this BBL season.