Always there or thereabouts, the Sixers are perennial contenders and you have to hark back to 2018 for the last time that they missed out on the top three in the group stage, but they last won the title – their third – in 2021
Sydney Sixers have a settled squad and the added fillip of Steve Smith in their ranks.
The departure of the rarely-available Nathan Lyon is offset by a strong set of spinners. The biggest change – barring the retirement of Dan Christian – comes off the field, with Australia great Rachael Haynes brought in as head of cricket.
Coach: Greg Shipperd
The veteran coach has been in charge of Sixers since replacing Trevor Bayliss in 2015 and is a two-time Big Bash winner.
Captain: Moises Henriques
The 36-year-old has been in decent early-season form for New South Wales, with a List A hundred and half centuries in his last three Sheffield Shield matches.
He has spent more than a decade at Sydney Sixers, starring in the inaugural final win over Perth Scorchers – a time so long ago that Brett Lee and Stuart MacGill were part of Sixers' bowling attack, while Scorchers had Herschelle Gibbs and Marcus North at the top of their order.
How strong is the batting?
Only Jordan Silk scored more Big Bash runs for Sydney Sixers last season than Steve Smith, that despite Smith only playing five times.
He notched two hundreds in that period, consecutively against Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder, the latter coming in a 125-run battering of their local rivals.
Smith is set to be available for Sixers' tournament opener against Melbourne Renegades, part of a stacked batting lineup that also includes James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Kurtis Patterson and Josh Philippe.
Philippe, the 26-year-old, has been away with Australia's T20I side in India, while Hughes has just been signed for half of next season by Sussex.
Vince is a serial run-getter in whichever T20 tournament will have him; he is now the all-time run-scorer in the T20 Blast and the second-most prolific overseas player in Big Bash history after Alex Hales.
Watch out for his compatriot, Tom Curran, whose bowling is a known quantity but is developing into an exceptional finisher with the bat, epitomised by his match-winning performance in the final of The Hundred earlier this year. Sean Abbott, of course, hit the Blast's fastest-ever century earlier this year.
Opponents will do well to keep Jordan Silk out of the game (Steve Bell/Getty Images)
How strong is the bowling?
Sixers have most bases covered with the ball, even if they no longer have Nathan Lyon on their staff. The off-spinner instead looks likely to face his former side when the two teams meet in Sydney's opening game.
Lyon's departure doesn't impact their spin resources though, with old-stager Steve O'Keefe, Test offie Todd Murphy, Afghanistan leggie Izharulhaq Naveed and promising youngster Joel Davies all available to Moises Henriques.
They had initially planned to have Rehan Ahmed onboard, but the England youngster withdrew, prompting the signing of Izharulhaq, who previously represented Sixers last year.
Davies, meanwhile, net-bowled for Australia on their T20I tour of India and is highly thought of. The allrounder may well be given an early opportunity, with Murphy set to be involved in a Prime Minister's XI fixture against Pakistan that coincides with Sixers' clash with Renegades.
"Our spinning group is building nicely with SOK [Steve O'Keefe], Todd (Murphy) and young Joel Davies, whose left-arm offies complement his strong batting and fielding," said Shipperd.
In the seam department, Sixers have an abundance of options: Curran, Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Hayden Kerr are all experienced T20 cricketers, while Jackson Bird has been re-signed for the forthcoming campaign. Rachael Haynes, now onboard as head of cricket at the club, has earmarked Bird as an ideal mentor for Mitchell Perry, whose red-ball performances for Victoria have earned him a deal with Sixers. He played a solitary match for Renegades in 2021.
Why should the fans be excited?
Sixers look excellent on paper, with Smith adding stardust and Vince a guarantee of runs at the top of the order. Philippe comes into the tournament on the back of Australia recognition, albeit with many of their World Cup stars missing.
You have to hark back to 2018 for the last time that they missed out on the top three in the group stage, but they last won the title – their third – in 2021.
Davies, whose older brother Ollie is a rising star at rivals Thunder, is one to look out for as a 20-year-old of genuine promise, while Curran's return as a much-improved all-round cricketer comes at an opportune moment following the retirement of Dan Christian, who has since joined Thunder in a coaching capacity.
(Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Why fans should be worried?
Filling the void left by Christian will be a challenge, such was his boundless experience, while Smith's overall availability remains to be seen, though they are hopeful of having him for the derby on January 12.
Rehan's withdrawal is a shame but hardly surprising given his likely movements with England over the second half of the winter.
Squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Tom Curran, James Vince, Rehan Ahmed (withdrawn), Steve Smith, Izharulhaq Naveed, Mitch Perry
Fixtures: December 8 – Melbourne Renegades (SCG, 8.15am GMT), December 11 – Hobart Hurricanes (Launceston, 8.15am), December 22 – Adelaide Strikers (SCG, 4.30am), December 26 – Melbourne Stars (SCG, 8.15am), December 30 – Sydney Thunder (Sydney Showground Stadium, 8.15am), January 1 – Brisbane Heat (The Gabba, 8.15am), January 3 – Brisbane Heat (Coffs Harbour, 7.05am), January 6 – Melboune Stars (MCG, 8.15am), January 12 – Sydney Thunder (SCG, 8.15am), January 16 – Perth Scorchers (Perth Stadium, 8.40am)
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