In a special moment for women’s cricket in India, 17 of India’s established and emerging players have registered for the inaugural player auctions of the Women’s Hundred, set to unfold under the iconic Piccadilly Lights in central London on March 11-12, 2026. With salary caps surging to £880,000 per women’s team and four overseas players now permitted per match, the stakes have never been higher.
WPL and IPL heavyweights, the Mumbai Indians (Oval Invincibles Rebranded as MI London), Lucknow SuperGiants (Manchester Originals rebranded as Manchester SuperGiants), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Northern Superchargers rebranded as Sunrisers Leeds), and Delhi Capitals (Southern Brave), have injected fresh energy alongside traditional sides Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire, promising fierce bidding wars.
The auctions kick off with marquee “hero” players from the nominated list of players by the eight franchises, following pre-auction signings that have already reset squads. Standouts include Smriti Mandhana and Meg Lanning (Manchester SuperGiants), Jemimah Rodrigues (Southern Brave), and Hayley Matthews (MI London). Defending champions Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers, 2025 winners) join past titlists MI London (2021-22), Southern Brave (2023), and London Spirit (2024) in the hunt, all bolstered by IPL investment.
Leading India’s charge is Richa Ghosh at a top reserve price of £50,000, fresh off an explosive WPL 2026 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 189 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 151.20 and average of 31.50, including a half-century. Close behind at £37,500, opener Pratika Rawal returns from an ankle injury that sidelined her for the knockout stages of India’s triumphant ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 campaign.
The £27,500 bracket packs firepower: left-arm spinner N Sree Charani, the joint second-highest wicket-taker for Delhi Capitals in WPL 2026 with 14 scalps at 22.35 average and 8.30 economy, including a four-fer; all-round maestro Deepti Sharma, who struck 7 wickets at 8.80 economy, plus 131 runs at 119.09 strike rate and a half-century for UP Warriorz; and pace all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, back from a long injury layoff after featuring for RCB.
Dropping to £15,000, the depth is thrilling. Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, being picked by Gujarat Giants, is recovering from surgery, while uncapped opener Vrinda Dinesh shines in the ongoing ACC Women’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 with 152 runs in four innings (including a fifty), helping India A reach the February 22 final against Bangladesh A. Kashvee Gautam impressed for Gujarat Giants, while veterans like Shikha Pandey (UP Warriorz) and leg-spinner Asha Sobhana add experience.
RCB’s WPL 2026 title-winners Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, and Radha Yadav bring championship pedigree, with Radha now captaining India A with 39 runs and 9 wickets in the Asia Cup. Delhi Capitals, led by skipper Jemimah Rodrigues, runners-up (fourth straight final loss), contribute breakout stars: leading wicket-taker Nandni Sharma (17 scalps at 18.58 average and 8.31 economy, including a five-fer, shattering the record for most wickets by an uncapped Indian in a WPL season), batter Niki Prasad (75 runs at 120.96 strike rate), and Deeya Yadav. Mumbai Indians’ Sajeevan Sajana rounds out the list, blending youth and nous.
As franchises gear up, each with up to four pre-signings like Ellyse Perry (Birmingham Phoenix), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Trent Rockets), and Sophie Ecclestone (Manchester SuperGiants), these Indian trailblazers could redefine The Hundred. Will Ghosh spark a bidding frenzy, or will uncapped gems like Nandni steal the show? The Piccadilly spotlight awaits.
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