Teams in the Hundred will be permitted to name a fifth overseas player in their squads from next season, giving franchises additional cover against injuries, international call-ups and dips in form. The change follows a season in which several sides were left short-handed despite an increase in overseas quotas.
ECB Set to Expand Overseas Player Quota for 2027
Franchises had four overseas players in both their squad and playing XI in 2026, up from three in prior seasons. The ECB believes this shift lifted the standard of cricket considerably, especially in the men’s competition. Even so, multiple teams took the field with only three overseas players because of availability problems or poor form.Â
The board will now change the regulations for 2027, allowing each side to name a fifth overseas player in its squad. This adjustment is expected to cut down on short-term replacement signings, of the kind seen when Josh Philippe took a one-match deal at MI London while Sherfane Rutherford was away on international duty at the start of last season.
Squad Structures and Retention Rules Explained
Squads underwent a significant overhaul before the 2026 season as the Hundred shifted to a private investment model. Men’s and women’s teams were restricted to four pre-signings each ahead of a mega-auction held in spring, though squads are expected to stay far more stable over the next two years.Â
Players were signed under a ‘1+1+1’ contract structure, similar to the model used in the IPL. Under this system, teams can retain up to 16 players from their 2026 squads for the next two seasons at the same salary. Any player signed at the auction qualifies for retention, and so does any replacement player who appeared in two or more matches during the season.
Vikram Banerjee, the Hundred’s managing director, addressed the changes on the Business of Sport podcast, saying the quality of cricket rose substantially in 2026 following fresh investment. He added that the tournament has separated itself from other franchise leagues outside the IPL and the WPL. Squad salary caps, set at £2.05 million for men’s teams and £880,000 for women’s teams, are expected to hold steady for 2027, though a modest increase remains possible.
Scheduling and Overseas Availability for 2027
The 2027 edition of the Hundred will run from August 3 to 29, starting right after the fifth men’s Ashes Test at The Oval concludes on August 2. The ECB hopes this scheduling will help ticket sales by capitalising on interest generated by the Ashes series.Â
Overseas player availability will not be confirmed until the next Future Tours Programme is finalised later this year. Code Sports has reported that the tournament’s final week could overlap with an ODI series between Australia and New Zealand in the Northern Territory.
Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chair, told Sky Sports last week that the new owners were pleased with how the 2026 season unfolded. He acknowledged the tournament’s effect on the English domestic calendar but described it as a worthwhile trade-off, pointing to the financial benefits it has delivered to counties, several of which have cleared or reduced existing debts as a result.
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