In a historic step for English cricket, men’s hundred Recently the first player auction was held at London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights, setting the stage for an exciting season. All eight franchises finalized their teams in what turned out to be a vibrant and competitive event, with intense bidding battles for both domestic talent and international stars.
The auction highlighted the rising value of young English players, particularly uncapped names, who attracted surprisingly high bids. All-rounder players were at the forefront of the headlines James ColesHe became the most expensive player of the auction after London Spirit secured him for £390,000 (approximately ₹4.81 crore). Not far behind was last season’s standout performer Jordan Cox, who was snapped up by Welsh Fire for £300,000, cementing his reputation as one of England’s most exciting prospects.
Foreign stars also showed keen interest in it. South Africa’s T20I captain Aiden Markram has agreed a £200,000 deal with Manchester Super Giants, while experienced finisher David Miller has joined the Southern Brave for £110,000. England regulars were not far behind, with Adil Rashid earning £250,000 and Joe Root earning £240,000 from Welsh Fire.
One of the most famous moments came when Sunrisers Leeds sign Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed For £190,000 – this is a rare example of an Indian-owned franchise investing heavily in a Pakistani player. Meanwhile, Usman Tariq was picked up by Birmingham Phoenix, adding more curiosity to a historic auction that signals a new era for The Hundred.
The Men’s Hundred 2026: Complete squad after the auction
Birmingham Phoenix: Jacob Bettall (retained), Rehan Ahmed (direct signing), Mitch Owen (direct signing), Donovan Ferreira (direct signing), Saqib Mahmood, Usman Tariq, Joe Clarke, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Scott Curry, Laurie Evans, Chris Wood, Ethan Brooks, Mustafizur Rahman.
London Spirit: Jamie Overton (retained), Liam Livingstone (direct signing), Adam Zampa (direct signing), Dewald Brewis (direct signing), Jonny Bairstow, David Willey, James Coles, Mason Crane, Adam Milne, Adam Hose, Tymal Mills, James Reve, Luan-Dre Pretorius, Matthew Fisher.
Manchester Super Giants: Jos Buttler (retained), Noor Ahmed (retained), Heinrich Klaasen (retained), Liam Dawson (direct signing), Aiden Markram, Josh Tong, Sonny Baker, Gus Atkinson, Lewis du Plooy, Tom Hartley, Tim Seifert, Tom Moores, Max Holden, Tawanda Muye, George Scrimshaw, Paul Walter.
MI London: Sam Curran (retained), Will Jacks (retained), Rashid Khan (retained), Nicholas Pooran (direct signing), James Vince, Tom Curran, Trent Boult, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Stone, Ollie Sykes, Callum Parkinson, Jason Roy.
Southern Brave: Jofra Archer (retained), Jamie Smith (direct signing), Marcus Stoinis (direct signing), Tristan Stubbs (direct signing), Adil Rashid, David Miller, Luke Wood, Chris Jordan, Ben McKinney, Thomas Reeve, Michael Pepper, Tom Abell, Dan Worrall, Caleb Faulkner, Nikhil Chaudhary.
Sunrisers Leads: Harry Brook (retained), Brydon Carse (retained), Mitchell Marsh (direct signing), Nathan Ellis (direct signing), Ryan Rickelton, Jack Crawley, Matthew Potts, Dan Lawrence, Abrar Ahmed, Benjamin Howell, Tom Laws, Tom Alsop, Liam Patterson-White, Reece Topley, Edward Barnard.
Trent Rockets: Tom Banton (retained), Ben Duckett (direct signing), Tim David (direct signing), Mitchell Santner (direct signing), Finn Allen, David Payne, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Daniel Mousley, Matt Henry, Sam Billings, Aneurin Donald, Ben Mayes, Danny Briggs, Bradley Currie, Louis Kimber.
Welsh fire: Chris Woakes (retained), Phil Salt (direct signing), Rachin Ravindra (direct signing), Marco Johnson (direct signing), Joe Root, Jordan Cox, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Ben Kellaway, Lockie Ferguson, Asa Tribe, Tom Aspinwall, Matthew Short, Sam Cooke, Jaffer Chauhan.
Also read: The Hundred Women 2026 – Full squads of all eight teams after the auction
