Welcome to our full team preview for the Melbourne Renegades in BBL10! The 2020-21 Big Bash League season is set to be an exciting one, getting underway on the 10th of December. In the lead up, we will be bringing you a full preview and future betting tips for every team in the league!
Click the following links to see our other team previews! Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder.
Bowling
The Renegades have recruited a spinning duo in Noor Ahmad from Afghanistan and Imran Tahir from South Africa who will each play parts of the season. Renegade stalwart Mohammad Nab will also return to the side and add valuable over and middle order batting. He will, however, likely have to depart for the Afghanistan ODI series against Ireland in January.
The domestic bowling contingent for the Renegades will be led by Kane Richardson, who sits third on the all-time Big Bash League wicket-taker list and could join Ben Laughlin as the only bowler in BBL history with 100+ wickets if he takes 17 this season. James Pattinson likely won’t feature unless the Gades make the finals due to the Australian Test summer. Hard to look past Richardson to top the Renegades wickets here.
Richardson Top MEL Wicket Taker
$2.40
Batting
If there is one thing that could possibly pull the Renegades out of what is a predicted down season this year, it’s the opening combination of Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh. Both are in incredible form this season and both, for the first time in years, will be free of international duty and available for the full BBL season.
Add to that mix young South African star Rilee Russouw and one of the breakout players of the BBL09 season in Beau Webster and you actually have a pretty strong looking top four. It falls away pretty quickly after that though, and we feel if one of Marsh/Finch doesn’t get going, the Renegades likely won’t be able to post big scores. Back the value for the Renegades top runscorer in Shaun Marsh, who has been in brilliant form in the Sheffield Shield.
Marsh Top MEL Runscorer
$3.10
Prediction: 8th
While there are some things we like about the Renegades line-up this season, unfortunately, we just see too many holes for them to be contending. Finch and Marsh would need to have monumental seasons and while it’s definitely possible, it’s not something we are willing to bank on. We have the Renegades missing finals this season and at the moment we see them as the weakest squad in the league.
