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The Hundred will host its first-ever player auction in March, as announced by England’s cricket board (ECB) on Friday. The men’s competition will feature an increased salary pot exceeding £2 million ($2.68 million) per team. In its sixth edition, The Hundred will abandon its current player selection model in favour of an auction system inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL). This system involves teams bidding for players, including four overseas participants. What’s New In The Hundred? Each squad will consist of 16 to 18 players, with both a salary cap and a salary collar, which is the minimum amount teams must spend. The significant increase in salaries positions The Hundred as one of the most lucrative franchise tournaments for players, trailing only the IPL and the Indian Women’s Premier League. “The overall salary pot in The Hundred men’s competition will increase 45% for the 2026 season, rising to 2.05 million pounds per team,” the ECB said in a statement. “The overall salary pot in The Hundred women’s competition will increase 100% for the 2026 season, rising to 880,000 pounds per team. “The increase to the salary pot in The Hundred women’s competition will also see the base price salaries for the lowest-paid player increase considerably to 15,000 pounds, up by 50%.” These changes were proposed by The Hundred Playing Working Group, which includes representatives from all eight teams, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), and the ECB, before being approved by The Hundred’s board. Teams will be permitted to make up to four pre-auction signings from mid-November to the end of January. The Wildcard Draft will remain in place, allowing teams to finalize their squads with two selections in June based on strong domestic performances before the competition starts in the English summer. “These changes will help us make the competition even better, ensuring we get the best players in the world and improving the standard of cricket and level of entertainment further again,” said Vikram Banerjee, managing director of The Hundred. “Working alongside our new partners we’ve been exploring how we can take The Hundred forward and we’ve decided that moving to an auction will allow us to improve the competition.” Banerjee noted that the salary pot for the women’s competition in the first year of The Hundred was only £120,000, with top-earning players receiving £15,000. However, the pot has increased for the third consecutive year, now reaching £880,000, allowing top earners to make around £130,000. (With inputs from Reuters)
