Wondering how the squads for 2026 will be picked? Let’s get you up to speed!
Who will the 2024 title winners pick?
STAGE ONE:
PLAYER RETENTION & DIRECT SIGNINGS
Teams are allowed up to four pre-auction signings from mid-November to the end of January. A maximum of three of these can be direct signings, and must be overseas or England centrally contracted player. A minimum of one will be a retention which can be any player – England centrally contracted, overseas or domestic.
Within the four pre-auction signings, teams can sign up to two England centrally contracted players, and up to two overseas players. There will be no right to match this season.
Teams will have specific amounts of money taken from their final salary pot ahead of the auction, depending on how many of their four direct signings or retentions they use. To balance flexibility with fairness, a tiered cumulative cap model – similar to the model used in the IPL – will be in place.
The cumulative pre-auction deduction per team is as follows:
Men’s Competition - £350k (1 signing), £650k (2 players), £850k (3 players), £950k (4 players).
Women’s Competition - £130k (1 signing), £240k (2 players), £310k (3 players), £360k (4 players).
How The Hundred 2025 squads are selected
STAGE TWO:
THE HUNDRED AUCTION
The Hundred Auction is likely to take place in March 2026, after the closure of the direct signing window. Teams will need to buy between 16-18 players for their men's squads, while 15 players will make up the women's squads.
The overall salary pot in The Hundred Men’s Competition will increase 45% for the 2026 season, rising to £2.05m per team.
The overall salary pot in The Hundred Women’s Competition will increase 100% for the 2026 season, rising to £880,000 per team.
STAGE Three:
THE Vitality Wildcard
The Vitality Wildcard will remain a part of The Hundred, meaning good form in the Vitality Blast men’s competition and Vitality Blast women’s competition will still be rewarded.
This is decided closer to the start of The Hundred, strengthening the competition's link with the Vitality Blast and further rewarding domestic form. It means players who aren't selected in the main Auction can still pick up a contract.
And that’s it!
Mason Crane was picked in the Vitality Wildcard Draft in 2024
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