A New Era for The Hundred
After five seasons of drafts and salary tiers, The Hundred has taken a significant step into new territory with its first-ever player auction. Backed by substantial private investment, the competition has moved to a market-driven model where players without existing contracts now have their fees and team placements determined by competitive bidding. It's a bold shift — and one that has already produced some eye-catching numbers.
The salary pot for men's sides has jumped by 45% to £2.05 million per team, while women's squads have seen a landmark 100% increase to £880,000 per side. Teams will carry between 16 and 18 players, subject to both a salary cap ceiling and a minimum spend requirement. Two further wildcard spots per side will be available following the T20 Blast, giving coaches a chance to top up their rosters late in the piece.
Men's Auction: Coles and Cox Lead the Way
From a men's competition perspective, the auction has thrown up some fascinating valuations. Sussex's 21-year-old James Coles emerged as the standout earner, commanding a remarkable £390,000 — a figure that underlines just how highly the English cricket ecosystem rates his long-term potential. Kent's Jordan Cox wasn't far behind, landing a £300,000 deal that reflects his consistent run-scoring at county level.
Established international names Joe Root and Adil Rashid also secured significant deals, though specific figures weren't disclosed in the auction breakdown. As someone who's spent years watching player valuations evolve in franchise cricket, it's genuinely exciting to see English players being priced at the top of the market domestically. If you're looking at outright odds for the men's competition, squads boasting premium English talent alongside proven overseas names will naturally attract tighter prices from the bookmakers.
Women's Auction: A Historic Moment for Pay
Perhaps the most significant story from the entire auction process is what it has done for women's cricket wages. The combination of the doubled salary pot and competitive bidding has created some of the highest-paid female sports professionals in the United Kingdom. All-rounder Danielle Gibson, pace bowler Issy Wong, and 18-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman all secured contracts exceeding £100,000 — a genuine landmark for the women's game in this country. That Corteen-Coleman, still a teenager, is already earning at that level speaks volumes about where women's cricket is heading.
Squad News: Injuries and Changes to Note
It hasn't all been plain sailing in the build-up. Birmingham Phoenix have been hit by notable setbacks. Jacob Bethell, who was originally set to lead the side, has withdrawn due to a knee injury, with Donovan Ferreira stepping in as captain and Joe Weatherley joining the squad as cover. Mustafizur Rahman was also ruled out following an injury on Bangladesh duty, with Ben Dwarshuis named as his replacement. Matthew Montgomery had earlier come in for Ethan Brookes. It's a disrupted pre-season for Phoenix, and their odds for a deep run in the competition may lengthen slightly as a result.
London Spirit, meanwhile, have assembled a squad that reads impressively on paper — Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Dewald Brevis, and Adam Zampa among them, with young gun James Coles adding genuine excitement to the batting order.
With squads still able to add wildcard picks after the T20 Blast, the picture will continue to evolve. But on current evidence, the 2026 edition of The Hundred looks set to be the most competitive — and best-paid — yet.
