The Hundred to have new auction model with dates revealed [Source: X]The inaugural player auction for The Hundred has been revealed and will be held in London on March 11 and 12. The sixth edition of The Hundred will see players being selected through an auction model, which is widely followed by multiple leagues over the world. The Hundred Men’s auction will be held on March 12, while The Hundred Women’s auction will be held a day prior to that on March 11 with the auction registration deadline till February 16. Popular leagues such as the Indian Premier League follows the auction model and it will also be implemented in the Pakistan Super League from its 2026 edition. Why The Hundred is switching to auction model? Before switching to the auction system, the first five editions of The Hundred used a draft model, where players were allocated to teams based on predefined salary tiers. However, following substantial private investment in the competition, the format has now changed. Players who have already been signed or retained will remain with their teams, while those not contracted will enter the auction, where their teams and salaries will be decided through bidding. The eight city-based franchises will benefit from a significant rise in the salary cap for the men’s competition in 2026, which has increased by 45% to £2.05 million per team. Interestingly, the minimum salary for women players has also been boosted by 50% to £15,000 per player. How will The Hundred 2026 auction work? As this marks the sixth edition of the tournament, franchises were allowed to directly sign or retain up to four players each ahead of the auction, with squad sizes required to range between 16 and 18 players. For context, franchises were given a window from mid-November to the end of January to sign up to four players, with one permitted retention from their 2025 squad. The remaining three direct signings had to be either overseas players or England-contracted cricketers, and franchises were allowed to offer multi-year contracts. Interestingly, the Right to Match (RTM) option will no longer be part of the competition. Several England stars, including Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, and Jofra Archer, have already been retained by their respective teams. However, a number of high-profile players will be available at the auction, such as Rehan Ahmed, Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, and Phil Salt. Notably, the cost of pre-auction signings will be deducted from each franchise’s available auction purse. Stakes owned by foreign investors The tournament has also undergone a major structural shift, with four teams now part-owned by groups holding stakes in IPL franchises. This is reflected in new team names such as MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, and Manchester Super Giants. The fourth team, Southern Brave, is backed by the Delhi Capitals ownership group but has retained its original name, unlike the other franchises. Managing director of The Hundred, Vikram Banerjee, expressed his excitement about the new model, stating that he believes these changes will further enhance the competition. "This is a hugely exciting time for The Hundred. 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," Banerjee said. The sixth season of The Hundred is scheduled to take place in July and August 2026, with the first clash scheduled for July 21 and the Final to be played on August 16.
