Seventeen Indian cricketers have officially registered for the upcoming edition of The Hundred, underlining the growing global footprint of India’s women’s cricket ecosystem following their recent international success.
Headlining the list are wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh and all-rounder Deepti Sharma, both of whom enter the auction pool as high-value prospects ahead of the tournament’s sixth season.
Richa has registered herself in the top reserve price bracket of £50,000, making her one of the most premium overseas options available in the women’s competition this year. Deepti, meanwhile, has opted for the £27,500 bracket a valuation that still places her among the most sought-after spin-bowling all-rounders in the global T20 circuit.
Their presence at the top end of the auction pool reflects both current form and role clarity in franchise cricket structures. In a format as condensed as The Hundred where matches are defined by 100 deliveries per innings players capable of influencing multiple phases of the game become strategically invaluable. Richa’s ability to accelerate in the back-end overs and Deepti’s dual utility with ball and bat align closely with the tactical demands of the competition.
Alongside the headline names, several members of India’s recent World Cup-winning squad have also put their names forward. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, seam-bowling all-rounder Arundhati Reddy, emerging slow-left armer N. Shree Charani and top-order batter Pratika Rawal are among those expected to draw interest from franchises looking to strengthen their overseas contingent.
Rawal, in particular, enters the auction in the second-highest base price bracket of £37,000 a reflection of her rapid rise through India’s limited-overs setup over the past 12 months. With franchises now seeking dynamic top-order batters who can maintain scoring tempo through the Powerplay and middle overs, her inclusion in the higher reserve category suggests growing market recognition of her potential.
The wider list of Indian registrants also highlights the depth of talent currently emerging from the domestic ecosystem. Players such as Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Vrinda Dinesh, Kashvee Gautam, Niki Prasad, Sajeevan Sajana, Nandini Sharma and Asha Sobhana have all entered the auction pool in the £15,000 reserve category.
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For several of these players, participation in overseas leagues such as The Hundred offers a rare opportunity to gain exposure to varied playing conditions and high-pressure franchise environments. With the England-based competition scheduled between July and August 2026, it also fits into a broader international calendar that includes the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and bilateral assignments in the United Kingdom.
Franchises are permitted to include up to four overseas players in their final 15-member squads, placing additional emphasis on role-based recruitment during the auction. As a result, multi-dimensional players particularly those capable of contributing across phases often command aggressive bidding once the auction begins.
India’s growing representation in global franchise leagues is also a by-product of evolving administrative policy. While Indian male cricketers remain restricted from participating in overseas T20 leagues due to domestic contractual obligations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has adopted a more flexible approach with respect to women’s cricket. The issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to centrally contracted players has enabled several members of the national team to feature in competitions such as the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) and The Hundred over recent seasons.
From a developmental perspective, these league appearances provide Indian players with critical match exposure ahead of marquee international tournaments. With the Asian Games scheduled for September–October 2026 in Japan, extended competitive engagement through July and August could play a key role in maintaining match fitness and refining tactical adaptability.
The upcoming auction will be conducted across three recruitment phases, beginning with pre-auction retentions and direct signings, followed by open bidding for remaining squad slots. Final squad positions will then be filled through the Vitality Wildcard Draft in June, allowing franchises to reward standout domestic performers from England’s T20 circuit.
Several Indian players have previously enjoyed productive stints in The Hundred, most notably Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, both of whom have contributed significantly to their respective franchises in past editions. Their success has helped reinforce India’s reputation as a reliable source of technically proficient and tactically adaptable overseas talent.
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For Richa and Deepti, however, the 2026 auction represents an opportunity to translate consistent international performance into franchise demand within a rapidly expanding global marketplace. With salary structures for the women’s competition seeing a significant increase this year, the auction is expected to generate competitive bidding for players capable of influencing match outcomes within short-format constraints.
As franchises prepare to recalibrate their squad compositions in light of the evolving auction model, the presence of seventeen Indian players offers both tactical flexibility and commercial value. Their eventual destinations and the roles they are assigned will be closely watched in the build-up to what promises to be a pivotal season in the tournament’s progression.
