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The upcoming The Hundred 2026 will bring a major shift in how teams build their squads, with the tournament set to hold its first-ever player auction. This move marks a departure from the draft system used in previous editions.

The new system will allow franchises to directly bid for players and shape their squads within a defined salary cap, giving teams greater flexibility and increasing player movement across the league.

When and where will the auction take place?

The Hundred 2026 player auction will be held in London, with the event scheduled across two days. The women’s auction will take place on Wednesday, March 11, followed by the men’s auction on March 12. Piccadilly Lights in London will host the auction.

Hundreds of players from around the world have registered for the event. While close to 1,000 players initially entered the draft pool, the list was trimmed to around 425 players, including 247 in the men’s auction and 178 in the women’s section.

New squad rules and salary caps

The Hundred 2026 season will also introduce an updated squad and financial regulations designed to strengthen the competition and attract top international talent.

Each men’s franchise will operate with a salary cap of £2.05 million, while the women’s teams will have a salary budget of £880,000, representing a significant increase compared to previous seasons.

Squads will consist of 16 to 18 players, and each team will be allowed to sign up to four overseas players in their roster.

Another important rule change is the introduction of a salary collar, which ensures teams spend a minimum amount of their budget to maintain competitive balance.

Pre-auction signings and retention system

Before the Hundred auction, franchises were allowed to sign or retain up to four players between mid-November and late January. At least one of these signings had to be a retained player from the previous season.

Teams could also directly sign England centrally contracted players or overseas cricketers, with limits placed on the number of each category.

The number of pre-auction signings also affects the auction purse. For example, if a team signs four players beforehand, £950,000 is deducted from the men’s salary cap, reducing the amount available for bidding.

Unlike earlier draft systems, there will be no Right-to-Match option during the auction, meaning once a player is sold to another team, the previous franchise cannot reclaim him by matching the price.

Player categories and auction structure

Players entering the Hundred 2026 auction are grouped into different categories based on the level of interest from franchises. The auction begins with the “Hero” players, followed by "Ranked" players and then the "Nominated" category.

This system ensures that the biggest names are sold early while still allowing teams to strategically build the rest of their squads.

Players to watch out for in The Hundred 2026 auction:

1. Joe Root: One of England’s most dependable batters, Root’s ability to control the tempo of an innings while finding boundaries could make him a valuable pick for teams.

2. Adil Rashid

3. Finn Allen

4. Aiden Markram

Women’s auction:

1. Tammy Beaumont: Beaumont’s experience and consistency at the top of the order make her a reliable option in the women’s competition.

2. Nadine de Klerk

3. Beth Mooney

4. Deepti Sharma