Overview
- An IPL-style auction in March 2026 will replace the draft, with market-driven salaries and the introduction of multi-year contracts.
- Team salary pots increase to £2.05m for men (up 45%) and £880,000 for women (doubling), with the women’s base salary floor rising to £15,000.
- Squads expand to 16–18 players with up to four overseas slots, and both a salary cap and a minimum spend will apply.
- A pre-auction window runs from mid-November to January for up to four signings per team (maximum three direct, at least one retention), limited to overseas and England centrally contracted players, with tiered pot deductions: men £350k/£650k/£850k/£950k and women £130k/£240k/£310k/£360k.
- The Wildcard Draft remains in June to reward domestic form, and reports differ on any right-to-match mechanism, with Sky Sports stating it will not apply in 2026.