The Hundred 2025 Teams Collaborate with New IPL Partners

The Hundred 2025 – Teams lean on new IPL partners in recruitment

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The Hundred tournament is seeing a shift in recruitment due to new investors utilizing a ‘direct signing’ model, allowing teams to sign two players—one men’s and one women’s—before the draft. Teams are leveraging partnerships with global franchises to attract talent for the 2025 season, as seen with Rashid Khan joining Oval Invincibles and Nicholas Pooran being eyed by Manchester Originals. While the ECB has raised men’s salaries to compete with other leagues, English player mobility remains constrained by strict draft regulations. As the influence of overseas ownership grows, the ECB is anticipated to modify recruitment processes to ensure fairness and performance-based selections.

The upcoming investors in The Hundred are already beginning to impact the tournament, with numerous teams implementing a restructured recruitment system to sign players affiliated with their new partners’ overseas franchises.


The innovative ‘direct signing’ approach allows each team to secure two players – one from the men’s and one from the women’s side – before next month’s draft. Although new joint-venture agreements are still under discussion, ESPNcricinfo has discovered that many teams are already leveraging their partners’ global networks to attract talent for the Hundred’s transitional season in 2025.


Rashid Khan has finalized a deal with the two-time champions Oval Invincibles, having previously played for their new co-owners Reliance’s franchises in ILT20, SA20, and MLC. Meanwhile, Manchester Originals are in negotiations for a short-term contract with Nicholas Pooran, who is part of their new joint-venture partners RPSG Group’s IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants.


Southern Brave, where the GMR Group is taking charge, are working to bring in Faf du Plessis, who they had recruited in November for the IPL franchise they co-own, Delhi Capitals. Additionally, Welsh Fire are discussing terms with Steven Smith – who plays for their new partners Washington Freedom in MLC – hoping to finalize his signing ahead of Sunday’s deadline.

Rashid and Pooran’s contracts are especially significant as they played for different Hundred teams last season: Rashid for Trent Rockets and Pooran for Northern Superchargers. Rashid was the first pick in the Hundred’s inaugural draft in 2019 and has been consistently retained since, but he is now making the switch to The Oval.


“The purpose of the direct signings was to attract high-caliber overseas stars and I perceive it as a positive development,” stated Daryl Mitchell, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), to ESPNcricinfo. “There will be regulations in place, but there will always be established connections in cricket – some of which are long-standing.”


Mitchell remarked that it is “normal” for players to strengthen their ties with global franchises, although he urged the ECB to remain vigilant. “The movement of players has been a persistent element in cricket. There will always be existing relationships between cricket directors, list managers, or coaches and certain agents or players.”


The ECB has elevated top men’s salaries from £125,000 to £200,000 for 2025 to ensure that the Hundred can compete with MLC and CPL (which overlaps) for talent. The PCA criticized minimal increases to lower salaries as a “lack of respect” for domestic players in December and are advocating for further enhancements as new owners settle in for 2026.


These changes reflect the latest phase in a gradual transition towards a global contracting landscape in the T20 franchise realm, although others will still compete against teams linked to their respective IPL franchises. Trent Boult, who has played for multiple Reliance teams, has joined Birmingham Phoenix, while David Miller, Pooran’s teammate at LSG, is set to sign with Northern Superchargers.


The same situation has not yet impacted English players, who cannot switch directly from one team to another without navigating the uncertainty of the draft. However, the ECB has previously informed prospective investors that they may be permitted to secure England players on multi-year contracts in the coming years, potentially enabling some to change teams based on their affiliations with IPL franchises.

“There is a clear opportunity for collaboration.”

Manchester Originals chair James Sheridan on their new partnership with Lucknow Super Giants

Players have been representing franchises across various leagues since Kolkata Knight Riders made the groundbreaking decision to acquire the Trinidad and Tobago CPL team a decade ago. However, the trend has gained momentum, particularly following the 2023 introductions of both ILT20 and SA20, where IPL owners are prominently involved.


“If you adopt a long-term view, it could be plausible to consider some form of consolidation of these teams and a fusion of these tournaments at some point,” stated James Sheridan, chairman of Manchester Originals, last week. “That would require significant changes. Yet, it wouldn’t astonish me if, in a decade, we find ourselves looking at something along those lines.”


Sheridan proposed that in coming years, the Originals, Super Giants, and Lancashire will initiate “joint development activities,” but he advised caution: “Contracting isn’t as simple as it may appear in franchise cricket. There are auctions and drafts… But there is a clear opportunity for collaboration.”


Insiders hypothesize that Hundred teams whose new owners lack connections to overseas franchises may struggle with recruitment moving forward. This is particularly true for Rockets – who have signed Marcus Stoinis after losing Rashid – and Phoenix, where the allure of Lord’s under the new Silicon Valley co-owners may offer advantages to London Spirit.

Kane Williamson was recently announced as Spirit’s new men’s captain, and his agreement also includes a tenure with Middlesex, who share Lord’s with the MCC. Some host counties are eager for greater alignment in personnel between their Hundred teams and domestic or overseas players, an initiative Mitchell believes is already beginning to materialize.


“In the past four to five years, it’s likely that there have been elements of county players aligning with Hundred teams,” Mitchell noted. Is this trend likely to continue? I would assume it will. The host counties may have control over the budgets for both the county and the Hundred teams,” he added.


Mitchell stated that the PCA’s primary focus is to ensure players maintain confidence that selections for Hundred squads are based on merit. “In the upcoming 12-18 months, it’s crucial to establish safeguards to ensure players are chosen based on their performance and that everyone has a fair opportunity to compete.”


The ECB will retain overarching control of The Hundred, yet is forming a new committee representing each franchise to deliberate on matters such as recruitment. There is an increasing anticipation that the draft may be modified or restructured after this season, with discussions around an open-market system and an auction both mentioned as potential alternatives.


The involvement of new owners in recruitment has so far predominantly impacted the men’s Hundred, while the women’s franchise circuit remains in its early stages. Last month, Amelia Kerr (Manchester Originals) and Laura Wolvaardt (Southern Brave) were both confirmed as direct signings, with the Originals additionally retaining Beth Mooney.

Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98

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