The Hundred 2026: Welsh Fire and MI London sign international stars

MI London have retained Rashid Khan and added Nicholas Pooran while Welsh Fire have signed Freya Kemp and Rachin Ravindra for the 2026 Hundred season.

New Zealand batsman Ravindra joins former Manchester Originals team-mate Phil Salt at Fire, while England all-rounder Kemp and Australia’s Georgia Wareham are the first two signings for the women’s team.

Afghanistan leg-spinner Khan will be joined in the MI men’s side by West Indies star Pooran, with New Zealand’s Millie Kerr and Windies batsman Hayley Matthews also signed for the women’s team.

The five-time MI champions – under their former Oval Invincibles guise – retained three England internationals in batsman Danny White-Hodge, Sam Curran and Will Jacks.

Teams are allowed to sign outright or retain four players before the auction – a new addition for this season – which is scheduled to take place in March.

Khan, 27, helped his team win its third consecutive men’s title last year, having previously played three seasons with the Trent Rockets.

The hard-hitting Pooran, 30, a veteran of the franchise circuit, has previously played one season at The Hundred – for the Northern Superchargers in 2024.

Kerr (25 years old) played last season with the Originals, after spending 2022 and 2023 with the London Spirit, while Matthews (27 years old) spent the first five seasons of The Hundred at Fire.

“The signings we have made have built a fantastic backbone for both the men’s and women’s teams,” said MI London boss Ollie Sleeper.

“Fans were blown away by Rashid Khan’s performance at Kia Oval last summer, and Nicholas Pooran is an incredibly dynamic and exciting cricketer.

“In Hayley Matthews and Millie Kerr, we have signed two players who have performed well on the biggest stages for their countries and who have extensive experience in franchise cricket.”

Kemp, 20, spent five seasons with the Southern Brave, winning the championship in 2023.

Wareham, 26, has been with the Superchargers for the past three years, but played just two games in the title-winning 2025 season.

Ravindra, 26, played four matches for the Originals last season, averaging 30.33 and taking three wickets with his part-time spin.

General Manager Mark Wallace said: “It is fantastic that we have been able to secure three quality players to come to Welsh Fire next year.”

“It’s quite a reset for the competition and these signings give us a great base to build the team from in the 100 auction.”