The Hundred to hold auction and increase salaries

Following private funding into the competition, The Hundred will hold a player auction and significantly raise salaries for the 2026 season.

Players were previously given teams via a draft and a set of salary tiers, but an auction will now determine the roster and pay for them.

The fund for women’s teams will increase by 100% to £880, 000, while the men’s pay will increase by 45% to £2.05 million per side.

The minimum wage for female players doubles to £15,000, and the maximum number of foreign players allowed to play both competitions rises from three to four.

The Hundred’s ownership of the property was made public this month after private bidders bid for it in the summer.

Vikram Banerjee, managing director, said, “This is a very exciting time for The Hundred.”

“These changes will improve the quality of cricket and the level of entertainment,” according to the statement. “They will help us make the competition even better.

The Indian Premier League has held one of the franchise T20 leagues since its founding in 2008, making it a part of many of them.

Four of The Hundred’s sides are currently owned by individuals who also own franchises in the IPL, with some reportedly changing names in 2026 in response to their overseas counterparts.

Working with our new partners, we’ve been considering how to advance The Hundred, and we’ve come to the decision to hold an auction, which will enhance the competition, said Banerjee.

We’re delighted to hold the first auction in a major UK sport for a competition that has always been dedicated to innovation.

Teams will be able to sign four players in a window from mid-November to the end of January, with one being allowed to remain in any team’s 2025 squad.

Franchises will be able to offer multi-year contracts, and the three remaining direct signings must be from players working for England or from abroad.

However, the option to match, which allowed sides to retain squad members by charging the same wages if a player was chosen by another team, will no longer be a part of the competition.

The settled Oval Invincibles squad, who has won the division for the past three years, will likely be disbanded as a result of the move.

Southern Brave, who won the 2025 group stage without losing, will likely undergo significant changes, and captain Georgia Adams, who stated in August that “players want to have some say in where they go, too” cast doubt on the auction format.