Oval Invincibles (now MI London) and Mukesh Ambani (Source:X)
Ahead of the 2026 season of The Hundred, former captain Sam Billings revealed that he received no communication from his franchise following its recent ownership and management changes.
Sam Billings, who captained Oval Invincibles since the team’s formation, said he ‘didn’t even get a text message’ from the new management to inform him that he would not be retained.
The franchise was rebranded as MI London in December after a major investment deal involving Reliance Industries, owned by Mukesh Ambani.
Franchise rebrand and major changes
The team’s transformation from Oval Invincibles to MI London followed a new partnership between Reliance’s subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited and Surrey County Cricket Club. Reports suggest Surrey holds a 51% stake, while Reliance controls the remaining 49%.
Along with the rebrand, the franchise has undergone a complete overhaul of its coaching staff. Former men’s head coach Tom Moody and women’s head coach Jon Batty have been replaced.
The new leadership includes Kieron Pollard as the men’s head coach and Lisa Keightley as the women’s head coach.
It is important to mention that despite Sam Billings’ successful record with the team, the franchise decided not to retain him ahead of the first-ever player auction in the tournament’s history.
New signings replace Sam Billings as captain
MI London has already secured four high-profile players before the auction, including new captain Sam Curran. The franchise has also signed Will Jacks, Nicholas Pooran and Rashid Khan.
Also Read: The Hundred Auction List 2026- Players List From South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia
Sam Billings’ departure is particularly notable because of his outstanding leadership record. He guided Oval Invincibles to three consecutive Men’s Hundred titles from 2023 to 2025 and also captained Kent Spitfires to victory in the 2021 T20 Blast.
With five T20 titles as captain, Billings ranks among the most successful leaders in the format. Only MS Dhoni, with nine titles and Rohit Sharma, with eight, have won more.
Despite his captaincy record, Sam Billings has played 42 matches in The Hundred for MI London. The star player has made 494 runs at an average of 19.76 and a strike-rate of 133.87.
In the last season of The Hundred, Billings played in 9 matches and made just 53 runs at an average of 26.50 and a strike-rate of 151.42.
| Captain | Titles |
| MS Dhoni | 9 |
| Rohit Sharma | 8 |
| Sam Billings | 5* |
MI London's pre-auction signings
- Sam Curran, £350,000
- Will Jacks, £250,000
- Nicholas Pooran, £175,000
- Rashid Khan, £175,000
Meanwhile, the women’s team has pre-signed Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, though a captain has not yet been announced.
Auction marks new era for The Hundred
The upcoming 2026 player auction for The Hundred will take place on March 11 and 12 at the famous Piccadilly Lights in London.
A total of 709 players from nearly 18 countries initially registered for the auction, but the list has been reduced to 247 players after teams submitted their preferred shortlist.
This season marks a major shift in the league’s structure. For the first five editions of the competition, players were assigned to teams through a draft system. However, after new private investments in the tournament, the league has switched to a full auction system.
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