Lyon completes shock Big Bash move to Renegades

Test star Nathan Lyon has penned a three-year deal with the Melbourne Renegades, teaming up with Australia's first-choice white-ball spinner Adam Zampa.

After 10 seasons at the Sydney Sixers, where he was part of the 2019-20 title-winning side, Lyon has sought new opportunities at the Renegades and will remain at the club until the end of the 2025-26 summer.

With Lyon's signature, the Melbourne outfit now boast one of the Big Bash's most experienced squads, with a roster that includes Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Kane Richardson and captain Nic Maddinson.

The 35-year-old's BBL career to date, which started with the Adelaide Strikers in the league's first ever season, has yielded 44 wickets from 38 matches, at an average of 21.50 and a healthy economy rate of 7.18.

He is one of just three Sixers (alongside Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis) to have taken a five-wicket haul, when he snared 5-23 to run through the Hurricanes in BBL|05.

After three straight wooden spoons, the Renegades bounced back in BBL|12 to finish third before being bundled out in the playoffs by eventual finalist the Brisbane Heat, and Lyon said he was looking forward to contributing to the club's resurgence.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of the Melbourne Renegades," he said.

"(Marvel Stadium's) a place where I enjoy bowling, it tends to spin a little bit. I'm looking forward to hopefully joining up with 'Zamps' in a really good partnership and putting a show on for the Renegades fans.

"I've got some really good friends who are part of the Melbourne Renegades, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to come down.

"There's a good group of senior players there who I've played a lot of cricket with internationally and also domestically, then you look at the younger guys throughout the roster – it's a pretty powerful squad in my eyes."

Lyon is currently recovering from a calf injury that abruptly ended his Ashes campaign at Lord's in what was his 100th consecutive Test match for Australia.

The seemingly innocuous injury, which occurred when the off-spinner was running in to field a ball from the boundary, came after he had taken eight wickets and contributed a crucial 16no in Australia's tense first Test victory at Edgbaston.

Should Lyon recover from his injury and make his way back into Australia's Test XI for the 2023-24 summer, he is expected to miss most of the Big Bash season.

Australia's Test summer commences on December 14 against Pakistan, six days after the Renegades' BBL|13 season opener on December 8, while the fifth and final Test of the summer against the West Indies begins less than 24 hours after the Big Bash final.

Melbourne Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said luring Lyon was part of the club's strategy for regaining the BBL title they last won in 2018-19.

"Over the last couple of years, we've had a clear plan around transforming our playing list to give our club the best opportunity to contend for another BBL championship," Rosengarten said.

"Being able to add two world-class spinners in Nathan and Adam to our squad for the next couple of years is a significant step in that process, one which we're confident will help to set us up for success over the coming seasons."

Melbourne Renegades BBL|13 Squad (so far): Nic Maddinson (c), Aaron Finch, Mackenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Jon Wells, Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa