The Hundred 2026 Teams Squads Schedule Guide & Where to Watch Live

The Hundred 2026: Full Guide — Teams, Squads, Schedule, What's New and Who to Watch

When does The Hundred 2026 start and when is the final?

The Hundred 2026 runs from July 21 to August 16, 2026. The tournament opens with a double-header at the Kia Oval in London on July 21 — both defending champions in action on day one. The Eliminator is August 14 and the Grand Final is August 16 at Lord's Cricket Ground.

What is new in The Hundred 2026?

Three teams have rebranded following new investment: Oval Invincibles are now MI London, Northern Superchargers are now Sunrisers Leeds, and Manchester Originals are now Manchester Super Giants. The tournament held its first-ever IPL-style player auction in March 2026 — replacing the old draft system. Teams can now field four overseas players instead of three. A reserve day has been added for the Eliminator match.

The Hundred turns six in 2026 and it looks nothing like it did at launch. Three teams have new names. Three teams have IPL ownership money behind them. An auction replaced the draft for the first time. And the defending champions — now rebranded as MI London — are chasing a fourth consecutive title.

That last detail bears repeating. MI London, formerly the Oval Invincibles, have won the last three men's titles. Nobody in The Hundred has won back-to-back. They've won three in a row. Whether anyone can stop them is the question the 2026 season has to answer.

The women's defending champions are Sunrisers Leeds, formerly the Northern Superchargers — now playing under the same IPL brand as their Hyderabad parent franchise. Both opening-night sides defend titles under new names.

The Hundred is more global, more expensive, and more politically charged than it's ever been — Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds in the first auction, making him the first Pakistan player to be picked by an Indian-owned franchise since the informal IPL shadow ban began. Usman Tariq is at Birmingham Phoenix. The tournament is making moves beyond just cricket.

Here is everything you need for The Hundred 2026.

Tournament at a Glance

What's New in 2026

Three teams rebranded

The sale of stakes in all eight franchises to external investors is the biggest structural change in The Hundred's history. Three IPL franchises have bought in and rebranded their teams:

First-ever IPL-style player auction

The Hundred held its first major sporting auction in the UK on March 11–12, 2026, at the Piccadilly Lights in London. This replaced the old draft system entirely. James Coles emerged as the most expensive buy at £390,000 to London Spirit. Jordan Cox went to Welsh Fire for £300,000. Harry Brook signed with Sunrisers Leeds for £465,000.

Four overseas players allowed

Teams can now field four overseas players in their playing XI, up from three. This has directly increased the quality of international signings across all franchises.

Reserve day for the Eliminator

A reserve day has been added for the August 14 Eliminator — a direct response to previous seasons where rain threatened to derail the knockout stage.

Wildcard signings

Each team will add two more players through wildcard picks based on Vitality Blast performances during the summer, keeping squads dynamic throughout the season.

All 8 Teams and Full Men's Squads

MI London

Home: Kia Oval, London | IPL Link: Mumbai Indians Defending Champions — Men's (3 consecutive titles)

Sam Curran (retained, £350,000), Will Jacks (retained, £250,000), Rashid Khan (retained, £175,000), Nicholas Pooran (direct signing, £175,000), Tom Curran (£260,000), Trent Boult (£100,000), James Vince (£190,000), Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Olly Stone, Ollie Sykes, Callum Parkinson, Jason Roy

The team to beat. Three titles in three seasons. Sam Curran leads a squad that retained its three key players and added Nicholas Pooran — the most destructive T20 batter on the planet when he's on — as a direct signing. Rashid Khan is arguably the most unplayable bowler in 100-ball cricket on his day. Trent Boult with a new white ball in English conditions is a nightmare for any top order. The question isn't whether MI London are good. It's whether anyone can actually stop them.

Southern Brave

Home: Utilita Bowl, Southampton

Jofra Archer (retained, £400,000), Jamie Smith (direct, £300,000), Marcus Stoinis (direct, £150,000), Tristan Stubbs (direct, £100,000), Adil Rashid (£250,000), Chris Jordan (£160,000), David Miller (£110,000), Luke Wood (£130,000), Ben McKinney, Thomas Rew, Michael Pepper, Tom Abell, Dan Worrall, Caleb Falconer, Nikhil Chaudhary

Jofra Archer as the retained player is a statement in itself. When fit and firing, Archer is the best fast bowler in England and one of the best in the world. Jamie Smith's direct signing gives them an explosive wicket-keeper batter at the top. Marcus Stoinis in the middle order adds power-hitting depth. If Archer stays healthy through August, Southern Brave are a genuine final contender.

Welsh Fire

Home: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Chris Woakes (retained), Phil Salt (direct), Rachin Ravindra (direct), Marco Jansen (direct), Joe Root (£250,000), Jordan Cox (£300,000), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Ben Kellaway, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Aspinwall, Matt Short, Sam Cook, Asa Tribe, Jafer Chohan Joe Root. In The Hundred. At Cardiff. The signing of England's greatest Test batter for the format's biggest domestic competition is the kind of move that makes you stop scrolling. Phil Salt at the top is already proven in short-format cricket. Rachin Ravindra's all-round ability and Marco Jansen's left-arm pace round out what is one of the most balanced squads in the tournament.

Birmingham Phoenix

Home: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Jacob Bethell (retained), Rehan Ahmed (direct), Mitchell Owen (direct), Donovan Ferreira (direct), Saqib Mahmood (£150,000), Usman Tariq (£140,000), Joe Clarke, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Scott Currie, Laurie Evans, Chris Wood, Ethan Brookes, Mustafizur Rahman

Jacob Bethell is the most exciting young English cricket talent in any format right now — retaining him was non-negotiable. Mitchell Owen brings the power-hitting that Phoenix need at the top. Rehan Ahmed's wrist spin at Edgbaston, where the pitch turns, is a potent weapon. Usman Tariq's inclusion marks a landmark for Pakistani players in the tournament.

London Spirit

Home: Lord's Cricket Ground, London

Liam Livingstone (direct), Adam Zampa (direct), Dewald Brevis (direct), Jamie Overton (retained), James Coles (£390,000 — most expensive auction buy), Jonny Bairstow (£160,000), David Willey, Mason Crane, Adam Milne, Tymal Mills, Adam Hose, James Rew, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Matthew Fisher

London Spirit finally look like a team built to win rather than just participate. Liam Livingstone's ball-striking at Lord's, Dewald Brevis as the X-factor batter, Adam Zampa as the premium leg-spinner, and James Coles — the most expensive player in the auction — as an all-rounder of genuine promise. If Bairstow is fit and in form, they have the batting to compete with anyone.

Manchester Super Giants

Home: Old Trafford, Manchester | IPL Link: Lucknow Super Giants

Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Noor Ahmad, Josh Tongue, Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson, Leus du Plooy, Tim Seifert, Sonny Baker, Tom Moores, Tawanda Muyeye, Tom Hartley, Max Holden, George Scrimshaw, Paul Walter

Jos Buttler captains the Super Giants — and having England's white-ball captain available for the full tournament under the protected window is exactly the kind of signing the rebranded franchise needed. Heinrich Klaasen — 624 runs in IPL 2026 — gives them a middle-order batter who has already proven himself at the highest level this summer. Gus Atkinson's swing bowling in Manchester conditions is a weapon.

Sunrisers Leeds

Home: Headingley, Leeds | IPL Link: Sunrisers Hyderabad Defending Champions — Women's

Harry Brook (retained, £465,000 — highest contract in the tournament), Brydon Carse (retained), Mitchell Marsh (direct, £200,000), Nathan Ellis (direct, £145,000), Ryan Rickelton (£150,000), Zak Crawley (£180,000), Dan Lawrence (£210,000), Abrar Ahmed (£190,000), Matthew Potts, Benny Howell, Tom Lawes, Tom Alsop, Liam Patterson-White, Reece Topley, Edward Barnard. Harry Brook on £465,000 is The Hundred's highest-paid player. At Headingley in front of a Yorkshire crowd, that investment makes sense. Abrar Ahmed's signing was the talking point of the auction — the first Pakistan player picked by an Indian-owned franchise in The Hundred era. Mitchell Marsh adds all-round power. Brydon Carse gives them a genuine wicket-taking threat with the new ball.

Trent Rockets

Home: Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Tom Banton (retained), Ben Duckett (direct), Tim David (direct, £200,000+), Mitchell Santner (direct), Finn Allen (£?), Sam Billings, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Daniel Mousley, Matt Henry, Aneurin Donald, Ben Mayes, Danny Briggs, Louis Kimber, Brad Currie, David Payne Tim David. Finn Allen. Ben Duckett. Three of the most destructive batters in 100-ball cricket, on the same team, at Trent Bridge. Mitchell Santner is underrated as a 100-ball spinner — he controls the middle overs better than almost any left-arm option in the tournament. Trent Rockets lost the 2025 final to MI London. They've rebuilt specifically to go one better.

Full Match Schedule

Timezone Key:

• BST: British Summer Time (Local UK Time)
• IST: Indian Standard Time (BST + 4:30)
• ET: Eastern Time (BST - 5:00)

The Hundred 2026: Women's Schedule

The Hundred 2026: Men's Schedule

⏰ BST = UTC+1 | IST = BST+4:30 (women's 7:15 PM / men's 11:00 PM) | PKT = BST+4 (women's 6:45 PM / men's 10:30 PM)

The 8 Venues

Where to Watch

💡 16 matches on BBC TV free — The BBC has confirmed 16 of the 68 total matches (men's and women's combined) will be available on free-to-air BBC One and BBC Two. All 68 are live on Sky Sports. Every match has BBC Sounds audio commentary.

Five Players to Watch

Harry Brook — Sunrisers Leeds (£465,000) The highest-paid player in tournament history. Brook at Headingley in front of a Yorkshire crowd is a matchup built for theatre. His IPL 2026 campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad — one of the partner franchises — showed he can dominate in short formats when his mind is on it. The Hundred at home is where he's most dangerous.

Nicholas Pooran — MI London The most destructive T20 batter alive when he connects. Pooran in the MI London lineup — alongside Rashid Khan and Sam Curran — makes the defending champions even more dangerous. He'll bat at four or five and finish innings in a way no other batter in the competition can replicate.

Joe Root — Welsh Fire The novelty of watching England's greatest Test batter in 100-ball cricket hasn't worn off. Root's ability to manipulate the field, rotate strike, and find boundaries off any delivery makes him a different kind of threat to the power-hitters around him. Cardiff's pitch suits his style.

Jofra Archer — Southern Brave (£400,000) When fit, there is nobody like him. His pace off a short run, his yorker at the death, and his ability to produce unplayable deliveries in English conditions makes him the single most match-winning bowler in the competition. If he stays healthy through August, Southern Brave win something.

Abrar Ahmed — Sunrisers Leeds (£190,000) Beyond the political story — which is genuinely significant — Abrar Ahmed is a bowling weapon in his own right. His googly and mystery spin variations are effective even when batters know they're coming. In Headingley's conditions, which can turn, he's going to take wickets.

Our Predictions

Men's Winner: MI London

Three titles in a row is already unprecedented. The squad that won in 2025 has been reinforced, not depleted. Nicholas Pooran is a new weapon. Rashid Khan and Sam Curran are still there. Unless Jofra Archer is at his absolute best for Southern Brave through the knockouts, MI London lift the trophy again.

Men's Finalist: Welsh Fire

Joe Root. Phil Salt. Rachin Ravindra. Marco Jansen. Jordan Cox. This is the deepest batting lineup Welsh Fire have ever assembled, and Sophia Gardens — where spin can turn — gives them a genuine home advantage that other teams underestimate.

Men's Dark Horse: Trent Rockets

Tim David and Finn Allen at the top, Ben Duckett at three, Mitchell Santner controlling the middle. Trent Bridge's pitch suits their aggressive batting style. They lost the 2025 final. They've rebuilt to go one better.

Women's Winner: Sunrisers Leeds

Defending champions with a full squad, home support at Headingley, and continuity from the 2025 title. No team has won back-to-back in the women's competition either. Sunrisers Leeds are about to change that.