The landscape of English cricket has changed dramatically as of yesterday (March 12). A hundred He completed the first ever IPL-style player auction at Piccadilly Lights in London. This “New Era” of the competition has seen a massive influx of private capital, a 45% increase in men’s wages to £2.05m per team and several high-profile franchise rebrands. From record-breaking local bids to historic international signings, the auction proved that The Hundred has firmly transitioned from its original draft system to a global financial powerhouse.
James Coles breaks records
Headlining the night was the 21-year-old Sussex all-rounder James Coleshe became the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. London Spirit secured the young star for a staggering £390,000, beating out heavy hitters such as Sunrisers Leeds and Trent Rockets. Coles’ big payday highlighted the premium franchise’s placement of versatile local talent under its new private ownership model.
Abrar Ahmed roped in by Sunrisers
In one of the most talked about moves of the day, Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the Sun Group (owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad), signed the Pakistani leg-spinner. Abrar Ahmed For £190,000. The move made significant waves as an Indian-owned franchise broke a long-standing informal trend seen in other global leagues by hiring a Pakistani cricketer. Birmingham Phoenix have also tapped into Pakistan’s talent pool, securing a mystery spinner Osman Tariq For £140,000.
Aiden Markram becomes the most expensive overseas player
Thursday’s auction also saw bargains for several well-known names. Tom Curran while the veteran spinner signed a £260,000 contract with MI London Adil Rashid Taken by Southern Brave for £250,000.
Joe Root Joined Welsh Fire for £240,000 and became the first player to be sold at the auction. Meanwhile, Sunrisers turned to Leeds And Lawrencesigned him for £210,000 after missing out on Coles early in the process.
Among foreign players Aiden Markram Manchester Super Giants made the biggest bid, signing a £200,000 deal. The South African captain already has two other franchises under the Super Giants banner – Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Durban Super Giants in the SA20 – further strengthening his association with the group.
Full list of players sold in The Hundred Men’s 2026 auction
| Player | Team | Price |
|---|---|---|
| James Coles | Spirit of London | 390 thousand pounds |
| Jordan Cox | Welsh fire | 300 thousand pounds |
| Tom Curran | MI London | 260 thousand pounds |
| Adil Rashid | Southern Brave | 250 thousand pounds |
| Joe Root | Welsh fire | 240 thousand pounds |
| Scott Currie | Birmingham Phoenix | 210 thousand pounds |
| And Lawrence | Sunrisers Leeds | 210 thousand pounds |
| Josh Dil | Manchester Super Giants | 200 thousand pounds |
| Aiden Markram | Manchester Super Giants | 200 thousand pounds |
| Abrar Ahmed | Sunrisers Leeds | £190K |
| James Vince | MI London | £190K |
| Sam Billings | Trent Rockets | 180 thousand pounds |
| Zach Crawley | Sunrisers Leeds | 180 thousand pounds |
| Chris Jordan | Southern Brave | £160K |
| Find Allen | Trent Rockets | £160K |
| Jonny Bairstow | Spirit of London | £160K |
| Saqib Mahmud | Birmingham Phoenix | £150K |
| Ryan Rickelton | Sunrisers Leeds | £150K |
| Osman Tariq | Birmingham Phoenix | 140 thousand pounds |
| Tymal Mills | Spirit of London | £130K |
| Nathan Sowter | MI London | £130K |
| David Payne | Trent Rockets | £130K |
| Luke Wood | Southern Brave | £130K |
| Craig Overton | Trent Rockets | £120K |
| Leus the thief | Manchester Super Giants | £120K |
| David Willey | Spirit of London | £120K |
| David Miller | Southern Brave | £110K |
| Shefane Rutherford | MI London | £100K |
| Tim Seifert | Manchester Super Giants | £100K |
| Trent Boult | MI London | £100K |
| Sonny Baker | Manchester Super Giants | £95K |
| Laurie Evans | Birmingham Phoenix | 85 thousand pounds |
| Joe Clarke | Birmingham Phoenix | 85 thousand pounds |
| Daniel Worrall | Southern Brave | 80 thousand pounds |
| Thomas Rew | Southern Brave | 80 thousand pounds |
| Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Welsh fire | 80 thousand pounds |
| Matthew Short | Welsh fire | £75K |
| Matt Henry | Trent Rockets | £75K |
| Loki Ferguson | Welsh fire | £75K |
| Matthew Potts | Sunrisers Leeds | £75K |
| Danny Briggs | Trent Rockets | £70K |
| Ethan Brooks | Birmingham Phoenix | £70K |
| Chris Wood | Birmingham Phoenix | £70K |
| The tribe of Asa | Welsh fire | £70K |
| Gus Atkinson | Manchester Super Giants | £70K |
| Richard Gleeson | MI London | £65K |
| Jordan Thompson | Birmingham Phoenix | £60K |
| Lewis Gregory | Trent Rockets | £55K |
| Will Smeed | Birmingham Phoenix | £55K |
| Olly Stone | MI London | £50K |
Also READ: Hundred Women 2026 Auction: Full list of sold players with prices
