India, Oct. 31 -- England's Hundred will ditch the draft and shift to an IPL-style auction from the 2026 season, with the inaugural sale scheduled for March 2026. The move is part of a sweeping restructure aimed at attracting more global stars and raising competitive quality.

In tandem, both men's and women's salary pools are being significantly expanded, alongside new contract flexibility and bigger overseas quotas. These are changes that the organisers say will sharpen the tournament's entertainment edge.

The men's overall salary spend rises 45% to £2.05 million per team, while the women's pot doubles to £880,000, reflecting the competition's intent to deepen talent on both rosters. A salary cap and a collar will govern team...