If you watched The Hundred a few summers ago and are tuning back in for the 2026 season, you might not recognise the competition at first.
There are new team names, new owners and a completely new way of building squads. The competition has gone through a genuine makeover.
This guide explains every major change in The Hundred 2026 in plain English, so you can follow the competition without needing a finance degree or a cricket encyclopedia.
New Owners Are Now Fully in Charge
The biggest change in The Hundred 2026 is not visible on the scoreboard. It has happened in the boardroom.
Late in 2025, the England and Wales Cricket Board, also known as the ECB, completed the sale of stakes in all eight Hundred franchises to private investors. The deals valued the eight teams at more than £975 million combined.
More than £500 million of that amount has been earmarked to flow back into English and Welsh cricket, including a £50 million commitment to grassroots programs.
The 2026 season is the first season in which these new ownership groups, known as TeamCos, have full operational control of their teams. TeamCos combine the new investors with the original host venues.
In simple terms, the counties still have a seat at the table, but the new investors are now driving strategy, branding and recruitment.
Three Teams Have New Names
This is the change that fans will notice first.
Three franchises have been rebranded to match their new owners’ global cricket brands.
| Previous Team Name | New Team Name | New Ownership Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Oval Invincibles | MI London | Reliance Industries, the group behind IPL side Mumbai Indians |
| Northern Superchargers | Sunrisers Leeds | Sun TV Network, owners of IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Manchester Originals | Manchester Super Giants | RPSG Group, the ownership group behind Lucknow Super Giants |
Each rebrand comes with a new kit and crest.
MI London is switching to Mumbai Indians style blue and gold. Sunrisers Leeds is moving to orange. Manchester Super Giants is unveiling an elephant emblem on its logo.
The other five teams, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire, have kept their original names, even though most of them also have new investors on board.
Squads Were Built Through an Auction Instead of a Draft
For the first time in the competition’s history, teams built their squads through a live player auction rather than the old draft system.
The inaugural Hundred auction took place across 11 and 12 March 2026. Franchises retained some existing players before bidding for the remaining players.
This represents a major structural shift for The Hundred.
The new system brings the competition closer to the way the IPL and other major franchise leagues assemble their rosters. It is also a direct result of the new ownership groups wanting to use a system they are already familiar with from their other franchises.
Bigger Salary Pools for Players
New investment has also brought bigger budgets for players.
The salary pool available to each franchise has increased significantly for the 2026 season.
| Competition | Salary Pool for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Men’s Competition | £2.05 million |
| Women’s Competition | £880,000 |
This is a notable increase from previous seasons and reflects the additional financial firepower that the new owners have brought into the league.
The Ongoing India Question
One storyline continues to resurface every year.
Will India’s biggest men’s cricket stars ever play in The Hundred?
So far, the answer remains no.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, also known as the BCCI, has not granted no objection certificates, known as NOCs, to active Indian men’s international players wishing to appear in overseas T20 leagues. This policy has remained in place throughout the history of The Hundred.
As a result, players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have never featured in The Hundred.
Names such as Hardik Pandya periodically surface in speculation about a possible exception, but nothing has been confirmed.
It is important to note that the women’s game operates under different rules. The BCCI approved Indian women’s participation in overseas leagues in 2022, which is why Indian women players have already featured in the competition.
Any headline about a specific Indian men’s player joining The Hundred should be treated as speculation unless it is confirmed directly by the BCCI or the player’s franchise.
The Hundred 2026 Changes at a Glance
| What Changed | Details |
|---|---|
| Ownership | TeamCos took full control in 2026 after a sale valued at more than £975 million in 2025 |
| Team Rebrands | Oval Invincibles became MI London, Northern Superchargers became Sunrisers Leeds and Manchester Originals became Manchester Super Giants |
| Squad Building | The first ever player auction took place on 11 and 12 March 2026, replacing the draft |
| Salary Pool | £2.05 million for the men’s competition and £880,000 for the women’s competition |
| India Storyline | No active Indian men’s internationals have played in The Hundred yet and the BCCI NOC policy remains unchanged |
Final Words
The Hundred itself has not changed its format. It is still 100 balls per side and remains built around a fast and television friendly summer evening experience.
However, almost everything around the format has shifted.
The ownership structure has changed. Three teams have new names. Squads are now built through an auction. Salary pools have increased and the question of Indian men’s international players continues to attract attention.
If you are catching up on The Hundred 2026 for the first time this season, these five changes are really all you need to know before kickoff.
