How The Hundred is changing for the 2026 edition

The Hundred has never stood still. Since its debut in 2021, the competition has consistently evolved, in profile, in ambition, and in the quality of cricket on show.

But the 2026 edition represents something altogether more significant: a wholesale transformation driven by overseas investment, fresh ownership, and a determination to make the tournament the premier domestic T20 competition outside of the IPL.

For fans eager to bet on cricket throughout the summer, the changes coming into effect this year make The Hundred more compelling, and more unpredictable, than ever before.

Three teams, three new names

The most immediately visible change for supporters will be on the team sheets themselves. Three franchises have rebranded entirely for 2026, each reflecting the identity of their new overseas owners.

Manchester Originals are now the Manchester Super Giants, following the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group's acquisition of a majority stake, the same ownership behind IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants. The rebrand comes complete with a new elephant-emblazoned crest, adding a bold visual identity to a side that has retained England captain Jos Buttler as their men's talisman.

Oval Invincibles, meanwhile, have been rebranded as MI London, aligning with Reliance Industries Limited's Mumbai Indians, one of the most recognisable franchise brands in world cricket. The Mumbai Indians connection carries enormous global prestige.

Perhaps the most straightforward renaming is that of Northern Superchargers, who become Sunrisers Leeds after the Sun Group, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, acquired a full stake in the franchise for approximately £100 million.

The remaining five franchises, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire, keep their existing identities, though all have undergone significant squad overhauls under their own new ownership structures.

From draft to auction: A historic first

Perhaps the most structurally significant change to The Hundred in 2026 is the switch from a draft system to a player auction, making it the first major UK sport to adopt this model. The inaugural auction will take place in March, with women's players going under the hammer first, followed by the men.

The shift to an auction format brings The Hundred into line with the IPL and other leading franchise competitions worldwide. It introduces genuine market dynamics into squad-building, allowing franchises to compete openly for talent rather than working within the constraints of a draft order.

Salary pots surge

Alongside the structural changes to the player acquisition process comes a dramatic increase in the money on the table. Men's salary pots have risen by 45 per cent to £2.05 million per franchise, a substantial uplift that has enabled contracts at the very top end. Harry Brook, for instance, is reported to be earning close to £500,000 from his Sunrisers Leeds deal alone.

For those seeking betting tips ahead of the 2026 season, it is worth noting that the salary increases are not uniform across the competition. Teams that made all four pre-auction signings had £950,000 deducted from their pot before the auction, while those who signed only three players retained greater financial flexibility.

This dynamic creates genuine variation in squad depth across the eight franchises, which could prove a meaningful factor as the tournament progresses.

Yet it is in the women's competition that the salary changes carry the greatest symbolic weight. The women's salary pot has doubled, a full 100 per cent increase, to £880,000 per franchise.

That commitment to parity sends a clear message about the ECB's ambitions for the women's game, and follows The Hundred's widely praised model of staging men's and women's fixtures as double-headers at the same venues throughout the season.

Four overseas players: More global star power

Franchises can now field four overseas players in their matchday XI, up from the previous limit of three. It is a change that has already reshaped squad-building significantly, with clubs moving quickly to bring in global names across both competitions.

The men's auction pool has attracted players from across the cricketing world, with Australians, South Africans, West Indians, and New Zealanders all featuring heavily in pre-auction signings.

In the women's competition, the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Hayley Matthews are among a host of international stars who will raise the quality and the profile of the tournament throughout July and August.

A competition coming of age

The Hundred has always provoked debate about its format, its relationship with the county game, and its place in an already crowded cricket calendar. But the 2026 edition feels like a genuine coming-of-age moment.

The influx of overseas investment, the move to a global auction model, the salary increases, particularly for women, and the rebranding of three franchises all point to a competition growing in confidence and ambition.

With the season running from 21 July to 16 August, and all matches live on Sky Sports, the stage is set for the most compelling edition of The Hundred yet. The names may have changed. The format may have evolved. But the ambition remains the same: to put on the best franchise cricket show outside of India, and in 2026, that aim feels more achievable than ever.