The flagship short-format cricket competition in the UK, The Hundred, returns for its sixth edition this summer.
Eighth franchises will go toe-to-toe in a bid to wrestle the title from Sunrisers Leeds, who produced an almighty shock by usurping the all-conquering Southern Brave in the 2025 final.
The Manchester Originals failed to reach the knockout phase last year, but in 2026 they look well poised: their new investment and name – the Manchester Super Giants – is supported by a squad that features a handful of T20 World Cup stars.
Standing On the Shoulders of Giants
The Hundred is one of the most popular domestic competitions in world cricket, in terms of TV viewership and in-stadia attendances.
Predictions for events like The Hundred are never in short supply either, with bookmakers offering the latest cricket odds for limited overs matches and tournaments played all over the world. Regular viewers of the women’s format might not be shocked to learn that it’s the Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave that are the favourites to win the 2026 edition at 7/2 and 5/1 respectively.
But there’s surely scope for the 8/1 Manchester Super Giants, given the form of their key players in the comparable conditions of the T20 World Cup, which has also been played this summer at grounds around England and Wales.
They forked out in the auction for Sophie Ecclestone, Meg Lanning and Smriti Mandhana, building their entire squad around that tremendous trio.
Smriti Mandhana is backing India to build on recent success to excel at the #T20WorldCup 👊https://t.co/KmC2sc1UHr
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) May 23, 2026
At the time of writing, Mandhana was the leading run scorer at the T20 World Cup; her match-winning knock of 74 against Pakistan was the undoubted highlight of her haul.
Ecclestone, meanwhile, sits third in the leading wicket-taker standings, with her intelligent left-arm spin once again causing untold problems for opposition batters.
Factor in Lanning as something of a specialist in The Hundred – she blasted 287 runs in the 2025 edition – and Manchester Super Giants have three proven match winners to call upon this season.
A Question of Depth
The challenge with building a franchise roster is that if you splash out on a handful of big guns, how do you round out the rest of your squad?
Manchester’s top-heavy auctioneering has raised some eyebrows, but don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a set of players solely reliant on the brilliance of their big three.
Kathryn Bryce has impressed at the T20 World Cup with her skillset, scoring 60 in a game-changing innings for Scotland in their win over Ireland. It’s not that long ago that the 28-year-old was in the top ten of the ICC player rankings.
Congratulations, Mady!
Mady Villiers has been named PCA Player of the Month for May. 👏
READ 👉 https://t.co/d2mYjO6euv#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/3qvW2pAUXd
— Durham Cricket Women (@DurhamWomen_) June 8, 2026
Paige Scholfield and Mady Villiers are England-capped players who can contribute with bat and ball, while Maitlan Brown is a Big Bash League veteran who has previously been named in Australia squads.
There is an argument to be had that other squads in this year’s Hundred will be better balanced, but this is a format that lends itself to big players dominating the action – especially with the bat.
The Super Giants are rather blessed in that department… could Mandhana and Lanning in particular prove to be title-winning signings?
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