The landscape of English cricket changed dramatically yesterday (12 March) Hundred Its first IPL-style player auction took place at Piccadilly Lights in London. This ‘new era’ of the competition saw a massive influx of private capital, a 45% increase in the men’s salary cap to £2.05 million per team, and several high-profile franchise rebrands. From record-breaking domestic bids to historic international signings, the auction proved that The Hundred has firmly transitioned from its original draft system into a global financial powerhouse.
James Coles broke records
The headline of the night was the 21-year-old Sussex all-rounder James ColesWho became the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. London Spirit beat heavy hitters such as Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets to secure the young star for a staggering £390,000. Coles’ big payday highlighted the extent to which the premium franchise is now tapping into versatile homegrown talent under the new private ownership model.
Sunrisers added Abrar Ahmed
In one of the most talked about moves of the day, Sun Group (owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad) owned Sunrisers Hyderabad signed the Pakistan leg spinner Abrar Ahmed For £190,000. The move created a significant stir as it is a rare example of an Indian-owned franchise recruiting a Pakistani cricketer, breaking a long-standing informal trend seen in other global leagues. Birmingham Phoenix also add to Pakistan’s talent pool by securing mystery spinner Osman Tariq For £140,000.
Aiden Markram becomes the most expensive foreign player
Thursday’s auction also saw attractive deals for many prominent names. tom curran The experienced spinner secured a £260,000 contract with MI London adil rashid Was purchased by Southern Brave for £250,000.
Joe Root Joining Welsh Fire for £240,000, becoming the first player to be sold in a bid. Meanwhile, Sunrisers turned to Leeds dan lawrenceSigned him for £210,000 after missing out on Coles early in the process.
Among foreign players, aiden markram The biggest offer he received was a £200,000 deal with Manchester Supergiants. The South African captain already represents two other franchises under the Super Giants banner – Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Durban Super Giants in the SA20 – further strengthening his association with the group.
Full list of players sold in The Hundred Men’s 2026 auction
| player | Team | price |
|---|---|---|
| James Coles | london spirit | £390K |
| Jordan Cox | welsh fire | £300K |
| tom curran | mi london | £260K |
| adil rashid | southern brave | £250K |
| Joe Root | welsh fire | £240K |
| scott curry | birmingham phoenix | £210K |
| dan lawrence | sunrisers leads | £210K |
| passion tongue | manchester super giants | £200K |
| aiden markram | manchester super giants | £200K |
| Abrar Ahmed | sunrisers leads | £190K |
| james vince | mi london | £190K |
| Sam Billings | Trent Rockets | £180K |
| jack crawley | sunrisers leads | £180K |
| chris jordan | southern brave | £160K |
| finn allen | Trent Rockets | £160K |
| jonny bairstow | london spirit | £160K |
| Saqib Mahmood | birmingham phoenix | £150K |
| Ryan Rickelton | sunrisers leads | £150K |
| Osman Tariq | birmingham phoenix | £140K |
| Tymal Mills | london spirit | £130K |
| nathan souter | mi london | £130K |
| david payne | Trent Rockets | £130K |
| luke wood | southern brave | £130K |
| craig overton | Trent Rockets | £120K |
| luce du ploy | manchester super giants | £120K |
| david wiley | london spirit | £120K |
| david miller | southern brave | £110K |
| Sherfane Rutherford | mi london | £100K |
| Tim Seifert | manchester super giants | £100K |
| trent bolt | mi london | £100K |
| sonny baker | manchester super giants | £95K |
| Laurie Evans | birmingham phoenix | £85K |
| joe clark | birmingham phoenix | £85K |
| Daniel Worrall | southern brave | £80K |
| Thomas Rev | southern brave | £80K |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore | welsh fire | £80K |
| matthew short | welsh fire | £75K |
| matt henry | Trent Rockets | £75K |
| lockie ferguson | welsh fire | £75K |
| Matthew Potts | sunrisers leads | £75K |
| danny briggs | Trent Rockets | £70K |
| Ethan Brooks | birmingham phoenix | £70K |
| chris wood | birmingham phoenix | £70K |
| asa tribe | welsh fire | £70K |
| Gus Atkinson | manchester super giants | £70K |
| Richard Gleason | mi london | £65K |
| Jordan Thompson | birmingham phoenix | £60K |
| Lewis Gregory | Trent Rockets | £55K |
| Will Smeed | birmingham phoenix | £55K |
| olly stone | mi london | £50K |
Also read: The Hundred Women 2026 auction: Complete list of players sold, along with their prices