The Hundred’s sixth edition is shaping up to be its most star-studded yet. With overseas investment reshaping the franchises, salary pots surging, and the inaugural player auction still to come in March, the full picture of each squad is yet to be drawn.
But based on the pre-auction signings and retentions already confirmed, the talent heading to England and Wales this summer is genuinely world-class. Whether you are a long-standing cricket fan or looking to bet on cricket for the first time, here is a look at some of the most exciting players set to light up The Hundred when the action gets underway on 21 July.
Jos Buttler – Manchester Super Giants
There are few more destructive batters in world cricket when Buttler is in full flow. The former England white-ball captain has been retained by the newly rebranded Manchester Super Giants, and his presence at the top of the order gives the Old Trafford franchise a genuine match-winner on any given evening.
Buttler’s ability to dismantle bowling attacks with minimal risk, pulling, driving, and cutting with an authority that few can match, makes him one of the first names on any Hundred team sheet. After a turbulent run with England in recent times, the tournament provides him with the ideal platform to reaffirm his status as one of the game’s elite T20 operators.
Rashid Khan – MI London
If there is one overseas player whose inclusion transforms a franchise, it is Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan leg-spinner is arguably the most valuable T20 cricketer on the planet. A bowler who not only takes wickets but controls entire innings through sheer variation and accuracy.
Retained by MI London ahead of the auction, Rashid’s presence at The Oval gives the newly named franchise an enormous advantage in the middle overs. He is a player who makes captains look smart and batters look foolish in equal measure, and in a competition where momentum swings are constant, having Rashid in your side is one of the most significant assets any team can possess.
Harry Brook – Sunrisers Leeds
One of the more compelling subplots of the 2026 Hundred is whether Harry Brook can bring the same form that has made him England’s most talked-about batter into the franchise arena at Headingley.
The current England white-ball captain has been retained by Sunrisers Leeds, formerly the Northern Superchargers, for a reported fee approaching £500,000, making him one of the competition’s highest earners.
His instinct for the big shot, combined with an ability to rotate strike and build pressure-busting innings, makes him a fascinating watch at any level. Playing in front of a home crowd at Headingley, where the atmosphere is invariably electric, Brook will be expected to carry a significant portion of Sunrisers Leeds’ batting hopes.
Jacob Bethell – Birmingham Phoenix
If you are looking for a player whose stock has risen faster than almost anyone else in English cricket over the past 18 months, the answer is Jacob Bethell.
The Birmingham Phoenix all-rounder, retained ahead of the March auction, has made a rapid transition from highly rated prospect to England international, with performances at both domestic and international level that suggest the best is very much still to come.
Bethell bats with a composure and timing unusual for his age, and his left-arm spin adds a second string, making him a valuable asset at multiple points in a match. He will be playing in front of his home crowd at Edgbaston, which only adds to the occasion.
Dan Mousley – ?
Dan Mousley may not yet have a franchise confirmed for the 2026 season, but with the inaugural auction still to come in March, he is among the names who could be snapped up when the bidding opens. But make no mistake: he is one of the most intriguing all-round prospects in the entire competition, and any franchise that secures his signature will be getting significant value.
A product of the Warwickshire academy who has been at the Bears since the age of 10, Mousley brings an unorthodox but highly effective skill set to the shortest format. He bats left-handed with plenty of range and power, capable of operating at multiple positions in the order, while his bowling offers something genuinely unusual: fast offspin, delivered at speeds that regularly touch 82mph, which poses all manner of questions to batters in the death overs.
His trajectory has been steep; Lions appearances, PSL contracts, and increasingly prominent Hundred performances have followed in quick succession. Right now, Mousley is captaining the England Lions in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan Shaheens, further underlining just how rapidly he has risen through the ranks. The 2026 Hundred season feels like the moment where he cements his reputation as one of English cricket’s most exciting emerging names, should he enter the auction.
Smriti Mandhana – Manchester Super Giants (Women’s)
The women’s competition has never been stronger, and Smriti Mandhana is one of the chief reasons why. One of the most elegant left-handed openers in world cricket, the India international has been signed by Manchester Super Giants women’s side and will bring her remarkable range of stroke play to Old Trafford this summer.
Mandhana is the kind of batter who can single-handedly shift the complexion of a game in just a handful of deliveries; her cover drive alone is worth the admission price. Alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Meg Lanning, she forms part of one of the most formidable women’s squads The Hundred has ever seen.
Jofra Archer – Southern Brave
When Jofra Archer is fit and firing, there are few more spellbinding fast bowlers in the world. Retained by Southern Brave, Archer will bring his distinctive blend of pace, bounce, and late movement to the competition, and in the short-burst format of The Hundred, his ability to take wickets in the powerplay and defend at the death could prove decisive.
Fitness permitting, which, it must be said, remains a caveat with Archer, Southern Brave will feel they have one of the competition’s most impactful players locked in.
Who else could feature?
It is worth remembering that the full squads are not yet complete. The inaugural auction takes place on 11 and 12 March, with the women’s players going under the hammer first, and a host of prominent names, including Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Adil Rashid, remain unsigned ahead of that event.
For those seeking betting tips on which franchises might emerge as pre-tournament favourites, the auction outcome will be crucial context: squad depth, remaining salary pot, and the availability of specific positions will all influence how balanced, or otherwise, each team’s final sixteen looks.
It makes the coming weeks as compelling as the tournament itself.
Article written by Justin White
