The Hundred 2026 Auction: Pakistan Stars Face Uncertain Future Amid IPL-Linked Investments

February 20, 2026: Uncertainty surrounds Pakistan players as The Hundred prepares for its first-ever auction under new ownership rules. A total of 63 Pakistan cricketers have registered for the March 11 auction, including Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Tariq. Many of them are part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.

However, two senior players — Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — have decided not to enter the auction. They are likely to focus on Pakistan’s upcoming international series against the West Indies.

The situation has drawn attention because this is the first season after the ECB allowed foreign investment in The Hundred. Owners linked to IPL teams now hold stakes in four of the eight franchises. This has raised questions about the chances of Pakistan players getting contracts.

IPL teams have not signed Pakistan cricketers since 2009. Only a few Pakistan players have featured in leagues connected to IPL owners, such as SA20, ILT20 and CPL. Recently, BCCI also asked KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman due to rising tensions between the two countries.

So far, Pakistan’s presence in The Hundred has been limited. Only nine Pakistan players have played in five seasons of the tournament. Issues like NOC delays and last-minute withdrawals have also affected selections. Earlier, Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chose to play in the Big Bash League instead of a home series against Sri Lanka. Afridi was later ruled out with injury, while Babar and Rizwan struggled with form.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf are among the 50+ Pakistan players who have registered for the inaugural Hundred auction.

The ECB is facing scrutiny over whether new Indian investors will effect an IPL-style 'shadow ban' on Pakistani players pic.twitter.com/vmX3xbmmJn

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 20, 2026

IPL Ownership and Salary Changes

Four IPL franchises are now involved in The Hundred. Mumbai Indians own MI London. Lucknow Super Giants control Manchester Super Giants. Sunrisers Hyderabad are linked with Sunrisers Leeds. Delhi Capitals are connected with Southern Brave.

Teams linked with Delhi Capitals and the GMR Group have signed Pakistan players before, including Imad Wasim, Zaman Khan and Shan Masood. The other IPL-linked teams have never signed Pakistan nationals.

Top England players such as Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid and Joe Root are on the long list. In the women’s category, Tammy Beaumont, Dani Gibson and Linsey Smith are available. Ben Stokes will not take part due to workload management.

Overseas stars like Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney, Deepti Sharma, Trent Boult, Aiden Markram and Sunil Narine are also part of the auction pool. Most of Australia’s men’s Test players are unavailable because of their home series against Bangladesh in August.

The auction will begin with a special group of “hero” players selected by the eight teams. Each team has already signed up to four players before the auction.

For the 2026 season, the salary cap has increased to about INR 21 crore for men’s teams and about INR 9 crore for women’s teams. Teams can now field four overseas players in a match instead of three.