The Hundred is back for its sixth season, and 2026 is shaping up to be the competition's biggest transformation yet. Private investment has reshaped team ownership, three franchises have been rebranded, and for the first time ever, squads were assembled through a live IPL-style auction rather than the old draft system. Here is everything you need to know about The Hundred 2026 — teams, format, schedule, and how to watch.
What Is The Hundred?
The Hundred is an English short-format cricket competition featuring eight city-based franchise teams, running both men's and women's tournaments simultaneously. As the name suggests, each innings consists of 100 balls rather than the 120 balls (20 overs) used in standard T20 cricket, bowled in sets of five or ten deliveries rather than traditional six-ball overs. It's designed to be faster-paced and more accessible to newer cricket audiences, with matches typically finishing in under two and a half hours.
The 2026 season runs from July 21 to August 16, with all matches played as doubleheaders — a women's match followed by a men's match at the same ground on the same ticket.
The Big Story This Year: Private Investment and Rebrands
The 2026 season marks the most significant shake-up in The Hundred's short history. Following the England and Wales Cricket Board's sale of equity stakes to private investors — including ownership groups linked to IPL franchises — three of the competition's eight teams have been rebranded:
- Oval Invincibles (2025 champions) are now MI London
- Northern Superchargers are now Sunrisers Leeds
- Manchester Originals are now Manchester Super Giants
Investors tied to IPL franchises took stakes in four teams overall, and for the first time, squads were built through a live auction held in London on March 11–12, 2026 — the women's auction on day one, the men's on day two — replacing the previous player draft system. It's a structural shift that brings The Hundred noticeably closer in look and feel to the IPL's franchise model.
The Eight Teams
| Team | Former Name (if rebranded) |
|---|---|
| MI London | Oval Invincibles |
| Sunrisers Leeds | Northern Superchargers |
| Manchester Super Giants | Manchester Originals |
| Southern Brave | — |
| Welsh Fire | — |
| London Spirit | — |
| Birmingham Phoenix | — |
| Trent Rockets | — |
Format Explained
- 32 group-stage matches in the men's competition, and 32 in the women's — 64 total in the group stage, with 68 matches overall once knockouts are included.
- Each team plays eight matches: four home, four away, facing every other side once, plus a bonus fixture against their nearest regional rival.
- Top three teams qualify for the knockout stage.
- The second- and third-placed teams meet in an Eliminator at The Oval in London on August 14.
- The first-placed team goes straight to the Final, where they face the Eliminator winner.
- The Final is played at Lord's on August 16, 2026.
Star Players to Watch
The Hundred continues to attract major international talent alongside homegrown English stars. This year's competition features English regulars like Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, and Phil Salt, alongside overseas signings including Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Owen, Finn Allen, Donovan Ferreira, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Other notable overseas names taking part this year include Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Sherfane Rutherford, and Nicholas Pooran — the latter enjoying a standout start to the tournament for MI London, alongside Sam Curran, who has been among the tournament's most productive all-rounders through the opening rounds.
One notable absence: England all-rounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of this year's competition with a knee injury, a blow for whichever side had planned to build around him.
Where to Watch
Coverage in the UK is split between Sky Sports, which is broadcasting all matches live, and the BBC, which is showing 16 matches on television with full coverage available on BBC Sounds and highlights on iPlayer. For international viewers, including in India, FanCode is streaming the competition, with match times typically 11:00 PM IST for men's games and 7:30 PM IST for women's games (both run 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of UK time).
Reigning Champions
Oval Invincibles — now competing as MI London — enter the season as defending champions after beating Trent Rockets by 26 runs in last year's final. Whether the rebrand and new ownership structure changes their on-field fortunes remains one of the storylines to watch as the group stage progresses.
Why This Season Matters
Beyond the entertainment value of fast, high-scoring cricket, the 2026 edition of The Hundred represents a genuine inflection point for English domestic cricket's business model. The equity sale and subsequent rebrands have already sparked debate within the sport — with some reports warning of a widening financial gulf between the competition's biggest, most heavily-backed clubs and the rest of the county game that feeds into it. Whatever your view on the changes, there's no doubt 2026 is a season that will shape how The Hundred — and English domestic cricket more broadly — looks for years to come.
Want more cricket coverage? Read our full recap of the New Zealand vs West Indies ODI series, and check out India's T20I tour of Zimbabwe.