Cricket’s newest auction war has crowned its first set of winners and losers. The inaugural Men’s Hundred auction at London’s Piccadilly Lights on March 12, 2026, saw franchises spend big, bid bold, and leave some of the game’s biggest names stranded without a team.
Harry Brook topped all players at £465,000 for Sunrisers Leeds, while 21-year-old James Coles stunned the room as the costliest auction buy at £390,000 for London Spirit.
Pakistan suffered a near complete shutout as Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub went unsold, alongside Faf du Plessis and Wanindu Hasaranga. All eight teams can still add two wildcard picks after the T20 Blast concludes in July.
The Hundred Men’s Auction 2026 Overview
| Highlight | Details |
|---|---|
| Most Expensive Player (Overall) | Harry Brook, £465,000, Sunrisers Leeds |
| Most Expensive Auction Buy | James Coles, £390,000, London Spirit |
| Most Expensive Overseas Player | Heinrich Klaasen, £250,000, Manchester Super Giants |
| Youngest Big Buy | James Coles (21 years old), £390,000, London Spirit |
| Biggest Bidding War | Tom Curran, four teams fought before MI London won at £260,000 |
| Biggest Pakistan Signing | Abrar Ahmed, £190,000, Sunrisers Leeds |
| Most Controversial Signing | Abrar Ahmed to Sunrisers Leeds despite IPL owners avoiding Pakistan players narrative |
| Bargain Buy of the Auction | Tim Seifert, £100,000, Manchester Super Giants (went unsold initially) |
| Surprise Lifeline | Jason Roy, £31,000, MI London (picked at base price after going unsold) |
| Biggest Snub | Haris Rauf, unsold with zero bids despite £100,000 base price |
| Notable Unsold Players | Faf du Plessis, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy (initially) |
| Highest Spending Team | Sunrisers Leeds, smallest remaining purse after auction |
| Most Cautious Spenders | Trent Rockets, largest remaining purse at £682,000 after Round 1 |
1. Birmingham Phoenix
A blend of youth and overseas flair defines Birmingham Phoenix’s auction strategy. Jacob Bethell (£340,000) anchors the squad as their highest-paid retention, with leg spinner Rehan Ahmed (£250,000) expected to lead the spin department at Edgbaston.
South Africa’s Donovan Ferreira matched Scott Currie’s price at £210,000 after the fast bowler triggered a heated bidding war.
Saqib Mahmood (£150,000) and Pakistan’s Usman Tariq (£140,000) add pace and spin variety, while Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman at £100,000 gives them a crafty left-arm option. Joe Clarke and Laurie Evans provide experienced middle-order muscle.
- Jacob Bethell: £340,000
- Rehan Ahmed: £250,000
- Donovan Ferreira: £210,000
- Scott Currie: £210,000
- Saqib Mahmood: £150,000
- Usman Tariq: £140,000
- Mitchell Owen: £130,000
- Mustafizur Rahman: £100,000
- Joe Clarke: £85,000
- Laurie Evans: £85,000
- Ethan Brookes: £70,000
- Chris Wood: £70,000
- Jordan Thompson: £60,000
- Will Smeed: £55,000
2. London Spirit
No franchise made a louder statement than London Spirit at the auction table. Their record-breaking £390,000 bid for James Coles signaled serious intent, backing the 21-year-old as their franchise cornerstone at Lord’s.
Liam Livingstone (£350,000) and Jamie Overton (£225,000) form a destructive all-round partnership, while Adam Zampa (£190,000) and Dewald Brevis (£185,000) bring international class.
Jonny Bairstow at £160,000 provides explosive top-order power, and Tymal Mills (£130,000) delivers raw pace. David Willey (£120,000) rounds out a squad loaded with match winners, though Spirit’s heavy spending leaves limited room for wildcard additions.
- James Coles: £390,000
- Liam Livingstone: £350,000
- Jamie Overton: £225,000
- Adam Zampa: £190,000
- Dewald Brevis: £185,000
- Jonny Bairstow: £160,000
- Tymal Mills: £130,000
- David Willey: £120,000
- Adam Milne: £50,000
- Mason Crane: £31,000
- Adam Hose: £31,000
- James Rew: £31,000
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius: £31,000
- Matthew Fisher: £31,000
3. Manchester Super Giants
Three white-ball superstars in one batting lineup make Manchester Super Giants a frightening proposition. Jos Buttler (£350,000) captains a squad featuring Heinrich Klaasen (£250,000) and Aiden Markram (£200,000), arguably the most explosive top order in the tournament.
Josh Tongue (£200,000) was a shrewd pick after outbidding Phoenix and Welsh Fire. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad (£175,000) and Liam Dawson (£175,000) provide dual spin threats, while Tim Seifert (£100,000) proved a bargain after initially going unsold earlier in the day.
Gus Atkinson and Sonny Baker, leading the pace department, make MSG genuine title contenders at Old Trafford.
- Jos Buttler: £350,000
- Heinrich Klaasen: £250,000
- Josh Tongue: £200,000
- Aiden Markram: £200,000
- Noor Ahmad: £175,000
- Liam Dawson: £175,000
- Leus du Plooy: £120,000
- Tim Seifert: £100,000
- Sonny Baker: £95,000
- Gus Atkinson: £70,000
- Tom Moores: £50,000
- Tawanda Muyeye: £50,000
- Tom Hartley: £35,000
- Max Holden: £31,000
- George Scrimshaw: £31,000
- Paul Walter: £31,000
4. MI London
The Mumbai Indians’ DNA runs deep through MI London’s squad construction. The Curran brothers headline their roster, with Sam Curran retained at £350,000 and Tom Curran sparking a four-team bidding war before being secured for £260,000.
Will Jacks (£250,000) adds explosive batting and off spin, while James Vince (£190,000) brings elegant top-order stability. Rashid Khan and Nicholas Pooran, at £175,000 each, deliver world-class overseas quality.
Trent Boult (£100,000) staying within the MI family surprised nobody, and Jason Roy received a lifeline at a base price of £31,000 after initially going unsold in the main rounds.
- Sam Curran: £350,000
- Tom Curran: £260,000
- Will Jacks: £250,000
- James Vince: £190,000
- Nicholas Pooran: £175,000
- Rashid Khan: £175,000
- Nathan Sowter: £130,000
- Trent Boult: £100,000
- Sherfane Rutherford: £100,000
- Richard Gleeson: £65,000
- Olly Stone: £50,000
- Ollie Pope: £31,000
- Ollie Skyes: £31,000
- Callum Parkinson: £31,000
- Jason Roy: £31,000
5. Southern Brave
Pace is the weapon of choice for Southern Brave this season. Jofra Archer (£400,000) headlines as the second highest paid player in the entire tournament, supported by Jamie Smith (£300,000) and Adil Rashid (£250,000), who beat competition from Sunrisers and Trent Rockets.
Chris Jordan (£160,000) and Marcus Stoinis (£150,000) add proven international depth, while David Miller (£110,000) brings that trademark T20 finishing from South Africa.
Dan Worrall (£80,000) was a smart buy after a three-way bidding war with MSG and Trent Rockets. Thomas Rew at £80,000 adds promising young English talent to a well-rounded squad at the Rose Bowl.
- Jofra Archer: £400,000
- Jamie Smith: £300,000
- Adil Rashid: £250,000
- Chris Jordan: £160,000
- Marcus Stoinis: £150,000
- Luke Wood: £130,000
- David Miller: £110,000
- Tristan Stubbs: £100,000
- Thomas Rew: £80,000
- Dan Worrall: £80,000
- Caleb Falconer: £55,000
- Ben McKinney: £45,000
- Michael Pepper: £31,000
- Tom Abell: £31,000
- Nikhil Chaudhary: £31,000
6. Sunrisers Leeds
Nobody spent more aggressively than the defending champions at Headingley. Harry Brook (£465,000) became the tournament’s highest-paid player, while Dan Lawrence (£210,000) was snatched away from Birmingham Phoenix in a heated bidding war.
The headline-grabbing move was Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed (£190,000), directly challenging reports that IPL-backed franchises would avoid Pakistani players.
Mitchell Marsh (£200,000) and Zak Crawley (£180,000) provide overseas and top-order firepower, while Brydon Carse (£140,000) and Nathan Ellis (£145,000) spearhead the pace attack. Leeds finished the auction with the smallest remaining purse among all eight franchises.
- Harry Brook: £465,000
- Dan Lawrence: £210,000
- Mitchell Marsh: £200,000
- Abrar Ahmed: £190,000
- Zak Crawley: £180,000
- Ryan Rickelton: £150,000
- Nathan Ellis: £145,000
- Brydon Carse: £140,000
- Matthew Potts: £75,000
- Benny Howell: £50,000
- Tom Lawes: £40,000
- Tom Alsop: £31,000
- Liam Patterson-White: £31,000
- Reece Topley: £31,000
- Ed Barnard: £31,000
7. Trent Rockets
Smart spending and squad depth set Trent Rockets apart from the rest. Tim David (£350,000) headlines as their big-hitting overseas star, while Tom Banton (£225,000) and Ben Duckett (£200,000) form what could be the most fearsome opening pair in the competition.
Sam Billings (£180,000) sparked a three-way bidding war before the Rockets outbid Birmingham Phoenix at the death.
Mitchell Santner (£175,000) and Finn Allen (£160,000) add New Zealand class across batting and bowling, while Craig Overton (£120,000) and Matt Henry (£75,000) strengthen the seam attack. Lewis Gregory returns to his former franchise at a bargain £55,000.
- Tim David: £350,000
- Tom Banton: £225,000
- Ben Duckett: £200,000
- Sam Billings: £180,000
- Mitchell Santner: £175,000
- Finn Allen: £160,000
- David Payne: £130,000
- Craig Overton: £120,000
- Matt Henry: £75,000
- Danny Briggs: £70,000
- Lewis Gregory: £55,000
- Dan Mousley: £40,000
- Aneurin Donald: £31,000
- Ben Mayes: £31,000
- Brad Currie: £31,000
- Louis Kimber: £31,000
8. Welsh Fire
International pedigree drips from every corner of the Welsh Fire squad. Phil Salt (£450,000) is their marquee man and the second highest paid player across the tournament, while Jordan Cox (£300,000) was secured after outbidding Sunrisers Leeds in an intense paddle war.
Marco Jansen (£250,000) provides left-arm pace and lower-order hitting, and Joe Root (£240,000) adds class after a bidding war involving four franchises.
Rachin Ravindra (£140,000) and Chris Woakes (£110,000) offer an all-round balance. Lockie Ferguson and Matt Short, at £75,000 each, were smart overseas additions, giving the Fire genuine depth across all departments at Sophia Gardens.
- Phil Salt: £450,000
- Jordan Cox: £300,000
- Marco Jansen: £250,000
- Joe Root: £240,000
- Rachin Ravindra: £140,000
- Chris Woakes: £110,000
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore: £80,000
- Lockie Ferguson: £75,000
- Matthew Short: £75,000
- Asa Tribe: £70,000
- Sam Cook: £70,000
- Ben Kellaway: £37,500
- Jafer Chohan: £35,000
- Tom Aspinwall: £31,000
suggested Reads:
Conclusion: Eight Squads Loaded, Matches Start In July
The inaugural Men’s Hundred auction has set the tone for what promises to be a blockbuster season. Harry Brook’s £465,000 deal and James Coles’ record £390,000 auction bid prove that franchises are willing to invest heavily in both established stars and emerging talent.
The Pakistan snub, the Jason Roy lifeline, and Abrar Ahmed’s bold signing at Sunrisers Leeds gave the auction its share of talking points. With two wildcard picks still available to each team after the T20 Blast, these squads will only get stronger. The battle for The Hundred title starts well before the first ball is bowled.
