The inaugural player auction for the Hundred competition saw an intense fight for the top players in franchise cricket with a few unexpected signings capping a momentous day for English cricket.
Uncapped Sussex all-rounder James Coles, 21, was the biggest winner of the day as he was snapped up for a staggering £390,000 by London Spirit.
But the biggest development of the day was the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Ever since Indian Premier League team owners bought stakes in the Hundred, there were fears that Pakistan players would be overlooked during the auction; IPL owners have largely steered clear of Pakistan players in other franchise tournaments where they own teams. Four franchises in the Hundred were acquired by IPL owners.
However, mystery spinner Abrar was signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000. The team's owners run the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the IPL.
Abrar's compatriot Usman Tariq joined Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.
All eight franchises began the auction with four players already in the roster as direct signings. England limited-overs captain Harry Brook remained the highest-paid player in the competition, signed by Sunrisers for £465,000.
The 100-ball competition will be held from July 21 to August 16.
Below is the list of cricketers with the highest salary at this year's Hundred tournament. List includes players signed directly and through auction.
Highest paid cricketers at the Hundred 2026
1. Harry Brook (Sunrisers Leeds) - £465,000 ($618,000)
2. Phil Salt (Welsh Fire) - £450,000 ($600,000)
3. Jofra Archer (Southern Brave) - £400,000 ($530,000)
4. James Coles (London Spirit) - £390,000 ($518,000)
=5. Sam Curran (MI London) - £350,000 ($465,000)
=5. Liam Livingstone (London Spirit) - £350,000 ($465,000)
=5. Tim David (Trent Rockets) - £350,000 ($465,000)
=5. Jos Buttler (Manchester Super Giants) - £350,000 ($465,000)
9. Jacob Bethell (Birmingham Phoenix) - £340,000 ($450,000)
=10. Jamie Smith (Southern Brave) - £300,000 ($400,000)
=10. Jordan Cox (Welsh Fire) - £300,000 ($400,000)
12. Tom Curran (MI London) - £260,000 ($345,000)
=13. Rehan Ahmed (Birmingham Phoenix) - £250,000 ($330,000)
=13. Heinrich Klaasen (Manchester Super Giants) - £250,000 ($330,000)
=13. Marco Jansen (Welsh Fire) - £250,000 ($330,000)
=13. Will Jacks (MI London) - £250,000 ($330,000)
=13. Adil Rashid (Southern Brave) - £250,000 ($330,000)
18. Joe Root (Welsh Fire ) - £240,000 ($320,000)
=19. Jamie Overton (London Spirit) - £225,000 ($300,000)
=19. Tom Banton (Trent Rockets ) - £225,000 ($300,000)
=21. Donovan Ferreira (Birmingham Phoenix) - £210,000 ($280,000)
=21. Scott Curie (Birmingham Phoenix ) - £210,000 ($280,000)
=21. Dan Lawrence (Sunrisers Leeds) - £210,000 ($280,000)
=24. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Leeds) - £200,000 ($265,000)
=24. Aiden Markram (Manchester Super Giants) - £200,000 ($265,000)
=24. Josh Tongue (Manchester Super Giants) - £200,000 ($265,000)
=24. Ben Duckett (Trent Rockets) - £200,000 ($265,000)
=28. Adam Zampa (London Spirit) - £190,000 ($250,000)
=28. James Vince (MI London) - £190,000 ($250,000)
=28. Abrar Ahmed (Sunrisers Leeds) - £190,000 ($250,000)
