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Key Takeaways
- 1🏏 The Hundred will hold the first-ever major sports auction in UK history on 11-12 March 2026 in London
- 2💰 Men's team salary pots rise 45% to £2.05m while women's funds double to £880,000 per franchise
- 3🌍 Four of eight franchises now have IPL ownership links, leading to rebranded team names including MI London and Sunrisers Leeds
- 4📅 The 2026 season runs from 21 July to 16 August with 64 group stage matches across men's and women's competitions
- 5👥 Teams can field four overseas players instead of three, with squads ranging from 16-18 players
- 6📺 All matches will be available on BBC Sounds with 16 games broadcast live on BBC television
"The Hundred's inaugural player auction will be held in London on 11 and 12 March, in a historic first for major sport in the UK."
The Hundred Makes History: UK's First-Ever Cricket Auction Set for March 2026
In a groundbreaking shift for British cricket, The Hundred has announced its inaugural player auction will take place in London on 11 and 12 March 2026. This marks the first major auction of its kind in UK sporting history, signaling a new era for the T20 franchise competition.
A Revolutionary Change from Draft to Auction
For the first five editions of The Hundred, players were allocated to teams through a structured draft system with predetermined salary tiers. However, following substantial private investment in the competition, the format is undergoing a dramatic transformation.
Players not already signed or retained will now have their team and salary determined through an auction process—a system modeled on the highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL), which has used this format since its inception in 2008.
IPL Influence Reshapes The Hundred
The shift to an auction system has been driven by new investors in the eight city-based franchises. Four of The Hundred's sides are now part-owned by groups that also control franchises in the IPL, fundamentally changing the landscape of English cricket's flagship T20 competition.
This influence is immediately visible in the rebranded team names:
- MI London (Mumbai Indians ownership)
- Sunrisers Leeds (Sunrisers Hyderabad connection)
- Manchester Super Giants (Lucknow Super Giants affiliation)
- Southern Brave (Delhi Capitals backing, retaining original name)
Auction Format and Schedule
The two-day auction will be split by gender:
- Women's Auction: 11 March 2026
- Men's Auction: 12 March 2026
Squad Composition Rules
Each franchise will build squads comprising 16 to 18 players, operating within defined financial parameters:
- A salary cap limiting maximum spend
- A salary collar mandating minimum investment
- Up to four overseas players permitted (increased from three)
- Franchises could sign or retain up to four players prior to the auction
Significant Salary Increases Announced
The 2026 edition brings substantial financial growth for players across both competitions:
Men's Competition
- Salary pot increased by 45% to £2.05 million per team
Women's Competition
- Salary fund increased by 100% to £880,000 per team
- Minimum salary raised by 50% to £15,000
These increases demonstrate the growing commercial viability of franchise cricket in the UK and the commitment to elevating the women's game.
2026 Fixtures Revealed
The sixth edition of The Hundred will run from 21 July to 16 August 2026, featuring 64 group stage matches split equally between men's and women's competitions.
Key Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Opening Double-Header | 21 July (MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval) |
| Final Group Fixtures | 12 August |
| Eliminator | 14 August |
| Final | 16 August |
Both the Eliminator and final will include reserve days to protect against weather disruptions.
Broadcasting Coverage
Fans will have multiple viewing options:
- All matches live on BBC Sounds
- Highlights on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website
- 16 matches broadcast live on BBC television
Looking Ahead: A New Chapter for English Cricket
The introduction of an IPL-style auction represents a seismic shift in how The Hundred operates. With increased investment, higher salaries, and global franchise ownership, the competition is positioning itself as a genuine rival to established T20 leagues worldwide.
The opening fixture pitting MI London against Sunrisers Leeds—two teams with direct IPL ownership connections—at The Oval perfectly encapsulates this new direction. As the auction approaches in March, expect intense bidding wars and potentially record-breaking contracts that will reshape the perception of English domestic cricket.
The Hundred's evolution from a controversial addition to the cricket calendar to a globally-connected franchise powerhouse continues apace.
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