The Hundred will not have the player draft anymore, and the player auction will be the new way to go for the 2026 season. This transition is made possible by private equity investors acquiring shares in all eight teams.
The team owners were IPL based, so it was only expected to make such a change. So, now that all the agreements have been made, it’s all about the teams now.
Teams will buy new players in the IPL-style auction, as that is obvious. But there is also the option to keep some of the players already in the team.
Auction of The Hundred 2026?
Each team is either retaining or pre-signing a maximum of four players prior to the auction of The Hundred 2026.
Teams can retain four players from the squad of the previous season and pre-sign three at the maximum. And every team should retain at least one player.
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While retaining or pre-signing players, teams must adhere to certain restrictions regarding the types of players.
A team may:
Pre-sign a maximum of two players who are centrally contracted by the England cricket team. Pre-sign a maximum of two international players
Retain at least one player – who can be an England centrally contracted player, an international player, or a domestic one
The salary caps of the team will be reduced by a specified amount because of the selections made before the auction.
Here’s how much the teams will lose for pre-auction picks in The Hundred 2026:
| Players Pre-Picked | Men’s Amount Lost | Women’s Amount Lost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Player | £350,000 | £150,000 |
| 2 Players | £650,000 | £240,000 |
| 3 Players | £850,000 | £310,000 |
| 4 Players | £950,000 | £360,000 |
What’s the Salary Cap for the 2026 Auction of The Hundred?
The salary cap has been increased by 45% in men’s and 100% in women’s competitions.
The men’s teams are given a total of £2.05 million as their salary cap, which is increased from the previous £1.2 million. The female groups will have a limit of £880,000.
When will The Hundred 2026 Auction take place?
The Hundred 2026 auction is scheduled for March, but the specific dates have not been revealed yet
