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2 September 2025
When The Hundred returns in 2026, there will be significant changes to England and Wales’ franchise cricket competition.
The tournament is set to receive a large increase in financial backing following sales in stakes of all eight teams.
The extra funding is expected to lead to a number of changes to the competition, such as salaries, team names and more.
This is what next year’s competition could look like and why it could be the end of The Hundred as we know it…
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Will the format change?
Getty ImagesAt present, the format is currently an eight-team tournament in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
As things stand, it is very unlikely that the format will change for next year’s competition, or in the next couple of years.
Any potential changes are more likely to come in 2029 or later, when there could be an increase in the number of games and the number of teams involved.
This is due to the current television package for the competition ending after 2028.
When is the schedule likely to be?
Compared to the 2025 tournament, next year’s Hundred is expected to be played earlier in the summer.
When looking at England men’s fixtures for next summer, the tournament is likely to begin around Tuesday, 21 July.
With that in mind, a final of Sunday, 16 August is probable.
England’s men play their final one-day international on Sunday, 19 July and are not back in action until Wednesday, 19 August.
Will any teams be changing their names?
Getty ImagesTwo of the eight teams have already approached the ECB to change their names before next season after being bought by Indian Premier League sides.
The Manchester Originals have told BBC Sport that their new name is likely to include Super Giants in the title as they are owned by the same group that owns the Lucknow Super Giants.
Northern Superchargers are also set to include Sunrisers in their name to match their IPL owners Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While it has not been confirmed by the Oval Invincibles, they will reportedly re-brand themselves to MI London as part of an ownership group with the Mumbai Indians.
London Spirit are set to retain their name, while the future names of the other four teams remain unknown.
Across the competition, changes to colour and branding are likely next year.
Will the salaries of players increase?
The salary pot in the men’s competition will rise by 45% to £2.05m per side, while the fund for women’s teams will increase by 100% to £880,000.
The minimum salary for a female player also rise by 50% to £15,000, while the number of overseas players permitted in both competitions increases from three to four.
In 2025, male players earned a maximum of £200,000, while top earners in the women’s edition pocketed £65,000.
The competition will have a player auction in 2026 – akin to the Indian Premier League.
Players were previously allocated to sides via a draft with a set of salary tiers, but will now have their team and pay set by an auction that will take place in March.
Teams will be able to sign four players in a window from mid-November to the end of January, with one allowed to be a retention of any member of a side’s 2025 squad.
The three remaining direct signings must be from overseas or England contracted players, and franchises will be able to offer multi-year contracts.
The right to match, an option that allowed sides to retain squad members by offering identical salaries if a player was drafted by another side, will no longer be a feature of the competition.
What about the number of overseas players and male Indian players?
Getty ImagesTeams will now be permitted four overseas players instead of three.
Male players from India are not permitted to play in The Hundred as they are not allowed to play in domestic competitions outside India.
However, with the Indian-based investment in The Hundred, that could lead to a reversal of the rule.
The ECB remains keen on having Indian male players in the league.
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin retired from playing in the IPL in 2025, meaning he could become eligible for The Hundred.
Have all eight teams got new owners?
While six teams have had financial takeovers this summer, the takeovers for the Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles are yet to be finalised.
There is a tentative deadline of the end of September to complete any further takeovers, meaning no board meeting between the eight sets of team owners will take place until October at the earliest.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.
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