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The Hundred will launch a player auction and significantly increase salaries for the 2026 season, following private investment in the competition.
Players were previously allocated to the sides through a draft with a range of salary levels, but their squad and salaries will now be determined through an auction in March.
Total salaries for the men’s competition will rise by 45% to £2.05 million per side, while the women’s teams’ payroll will increase by 100% to £880,000.
The minimum salary for a female player will also double to £15,000, while the number of foreign players allowed in both competitions will increase from three to four.
The Hundred opened to investment from private bidders in the summer, with new owners taking control this month.
“This is a very exciting time for The Hundred,” said Managing Director Vikram Banerjee.
“These changes will help us make the competition better, ensuring we have the best players in the world and improving the standard of cricket and entertainment.”
Auctions are a feature of a number of T20 franchise leagues, with the Indian Premier League maintaining one since its inception in 2008.
Four of The Hundred’s teams are now partly owned by groups that also control franchises in the IPL, several of which are expected to change their names in 2026 to reflect their overseas counterparts.
“Working alongside our new partners, we have been exploring how we can take The Hundred forward and decided that moving to auction would allow us to improve the competition,” Banerjee added.
“For a competition that has always prided itself on innovation, we are delighted to be holding the first auction in a major British sport.”
Teams will be able to sign four players from mid-November to the end of January, with one of them allowed to retain any member of their 2025 squad.
The remaining three direct signings must be players contracted from abroad or from England, and the franchises will be able to offer multi-year contracts.
However, the right to match, an option that allows two sides to retain team members by offering similar salaries if a player is drafted by another team, will not be a feature of the competition.
The move is likely to dismantle the Oval Invincibles line-up, which has won the men’s competition for the past three seasons.
Southern Brave, who enjoyed an unbeaten group stage in 2025, are also likely to have big changes, and captain Georgia Adams cast doubt on the auction format in August, stating that “players want to have a say in where they go”.
Season 6 of The Hundred will premiere in July and August 2026, and the exact start date has not yet been announced.
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