NEW ZEALAND ALL-ROUNDER Sophie Devine and Australian wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney emerged as the biggest winners at the inaugural auction of the women’s competition in The Hundred, each securing record £210,000 contracts ahead of the 2026 season.
Devine was signed by Welsh Fire, while Mooney joined Trent Rockets. Their deals far exceed the previous highest salary in the women’s Hundred, which stood at £65,000, and are significantly higher than the £15,000 maximum salary offered during the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2021.
One of the biggest surprises of the auction saw England all-rounder Danielle Gibson secure a £190,000 contract with Sunrisers Leeds, placing her among the top earners at the event. South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk also landed a lucrative deal after being picked by London Spirit for £170,000.
In contrast, some notable players attracted relatively modest bids. India all-rounder Deepti Sharma was signed by Sunrisers Leeds at her base price of £27,500 after receiving a single bid. Meanwhile, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh was bought by Manchester Super Giants for £50,000.
Indian stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues had already been pre-signed by franchises ahead of the auction. Mandhana was picked by Manchester Super Giants for £90,000, while Rodrigues joined Southern Brave on a £60,000 deal.
Devine, who recently stepped down as New Zealand’s T20 captain after leading the side to victory in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, will now represent Welsh Fire as she enters the latter stage of her career at 36. She also retired from One-Day Internationals late last year.
Mooney’s signing followed an intense bidding contest between Trent Rockets and Manchester Super Giants, with the Rockets eventually securing the services of the Australian batter.
The sharp rise in player salaries comes after the salary cap for women’s teams in The Hundred doubled to £880,000 per franchise. The increase follows fresh private investment in the competition, bringing external investors into ownership or co-ownership roles across all eight teams.
