Introduction to The Hundred's Auction Transition
With investment from the Indian Premier League (IPL) now integrated, The Hundred is adopting the IPL’s auction model for its 2026 season player recruitment. This week in London, the competition will hold its first major player auction, marking a significant shift from previous recruitment methods.
The venue, a modest event space near Boots at Piccadilly Circus, contrasts sharply with the grand 18,000-capacity Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, where the IPL auction took place in December. Nonetheless, this auction represents a major step towards aligning The Hundred with its IPL counterpart.
The move from a draft system to an auction has been driven primarily by new overseas investors, four of whom also own IPL teams. These investors have collectively committed £975 million to acquiring stakes ranging from 49% to full ownership in the eight Hundred franchises, and they seek greater influence over the competition’s future.
Changes in Recruitment for 2026
Previously, The Hundred used a draft system for its first five editions, with players registering under one of five fixed salary bands. Franchises then selected five players from each band to build their squads.
The upcoming auction will see all players acquired through competitive bidding. Players have been categorized as Hero, Ranked, or Nominated based on the initial interest shown by franchises during shortlist submissions.
The women’s auction is scheduled for the first day, followed by the men’s auction 24 hours later. The combined auction will involve bidding on a total of 425 players.
This auction process aims to increase competition in player recruitment. Several new investors have openly expressed their intention to disrupt the dominance of the Oval Invincibles, who have won three consecutive men’s titles and whose women’s team secured back-to-back titles in 2021. Notably, the Oval Invincibles are part-owned by the same group that owns the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise.
The top 10 Hero players, including men’s stars Joe Root, Adil Rashid, and Haris Rauf, and women’s players Tammy Beaumont, Beth Mooney, and Nadine de Klerk, will be auctioned first. Bidders will need to manage their budgets carefully, as there is both a salary cap and a salary floor guaranteeing minimum contracts.
The auctioneer, Richard Madley, known for his role on the daytime television show Bargain Hunt, will conduct the bidding starting at 9:30am. Madley also officiated the inaugural IPL auction in 2008, where MS Dhoni was famously purchased for $1.5 million by Chennai Super Kings.
Due to limited space at Piccadilly Lights, only The Hundred’s television rights holders, Sky Sports and the BBC, are attending the auction in person. However, the number of players ultimately contracted will be substantial.
Financial Details of the Auction
The men’s competition salary pool has increased by 45% to £2.05 million for the upcoming auction, while the women’s salary fund has doubled to £880,000. Harry Brook has already agreed to a contract worth £465,000 with the renamed SunRisers Leeds franchise, covering between eight and ten matches depending on the team’s progression to the eliminator or final.
These figures represent a significant rise compared to the initial Hundred draft six years ago, when the highest salaries were capped at £125,000 for men and £15,000 for women. Further salary increases are anticipated as IPL investment continues to grow.
Pre-Auction Player Signings and Challenges
The transition to the auction system has faced some organizational challenges. For example, MI London did not inform former Oval Invincibles captains Sam Billings and Lauren Winfield-Hill that they had been released, as revealed last month.
Despite releasing these players, MI London and Southern Brave lobbied to retain much of their existing squads. A compromise allowed each franchise to re-sign three players out of four designated direct signings before the auction, with restrictions limiting two England-contracted players and two overseas stars per team.
Consequently, many top players have already been signed. MI London retained Sam Curran, Will Jacks, and Rashid Khan, and signed Nicholas Pooran. England internationals Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, and Jos Buttler have also secured contracts, alongside Harry Brook. Prominent overseas players already assigned to franchises include Australia’s Mitch Marsh, Ellyse Perry, and Meg Lanning.
Players Available in the Auction
Last month, the eight franchises submitted lists of 75 to 100 players each to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which compiled a longlist of 710 registered players. This list has since been narrowed to a shortlist of 243 players eligible for the auction.
Among the overseas players available are South Africa’s Aiden Markram and David Miller, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, and West Indian Sunil Narine. England players not yet signed are also available, except for Ben Stokes, who has prioritized rest for Test cricket and did not register, and Moeen Ali, who was not included on the longlist.
Attention will focus on the 14 Pakistani players on the men’s shortlist, including Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, and Shadab Khan, as well as female players Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal.
Potential Controversies Surrounding Player Selection
Last month, the ECB and the eight franchises agreed that player selection at the auction would be based on "performance, availability, and the needs of each team." This followed reports by the BBC suggesting that the four IPL-owned teams—MI London, SunRisers, Southern Brave, and Manchester Super Giants—would avoid signing Pakistani players due to diplomatic tensions with India.
Pakistani players have been absent from the IPL since 2009 and have never been signed by any of the six South African SA20 teams, all of which are owned by IPL franchise owners. Thus, the so-called "shadow ban" issue is not unexpected.
In last year’s Hundred draft, 45 male and five female Pakistani players were available, but none were selected. This makes proving discrimination difficult, though the optics remain challenging for the ECB. The board will be hoping that at least one of the 16 Pakistani players on the auction shortlist secures a contract this week.
