Ashwin Confirms India Stars Will Not Play in The Hundred This Year

June 29, 2026 4 min read

Ravichandran Ashwin has confirmed that no Indian international players will compete in The Hundred this season, ending speculation about whether India's top cricketers would feature in England's innovative domestic T20 competition.

The veteran off-spinner, speaking on behalf of Indian cricket's hierarchy, stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not granted No Objection Certificates for any of its centrally contracted players to participate in the eight-team tournament.

The Scheduling Impasse

The Hundred runs concurrently with India's packed international calendar, creating a fundamental clash that has prevented Indian players from joining the competition since its inaugural season in 2021. Ashwin pointed to the compressed nature of India's schedule as the primary obstacle, noting that players simply do not have the window to travel to England and fulfill the obligations required by The Hundred's franchise owners.

The BCCI has maintained a consistent stance on player release for overseas leagues, prioritising national team commitments and domestic competitions over overseas franchise opportunities. This policy has frustrated several English counties who had hoped to attract marquee Indian talent to boost viewership and commercial appeal.

England's Competition Loses Star Power

The Hundred, which uses a unique 100-ball format designed to accelerate matches, has struggled to attract the world's biggest cricketing names despite its commercial ambitions. Without Indian stars, the tournament misses out on a significant portion of the global cricket audience, particularly in the vast Indian market where the sport dominates the sporting landscape.

Several franchises had reportedly expressed interest in signing prominent Indian players for future seasons, including players from Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings ownership groups who hold stakes in Hundred teams. However, those approaches have yielded no results.

Franchise Reactions and Strategies

The Southern Brave, Oval Invincibles, and Manchester Originals are among the franchises that have pursued Indian talent most aggressively. Sources within those organisations indicate that contractual frameworks were prepared for high-profile Indian acquisitions, only for those plans to be shelved when clearances never arrived.

English cricket's governing body, the England and Wales Cricket Board, has compensated by focusing on developing domestic talent and attracting players from other cricketing nations, including Australia, South Africa, and the Caribbean.

What Indian Players Miss

The Hundred offers substantial financial packages, with top overseas players earning upwards of £100,000 for a season's commitment. For Indian cricketers operating on BCCI central contracts worth significantly more, the monetary incentive alone does not justify the physical and mental toll of adding another competition to already demanding schedules.

Ashwin himself has been a vocal advocate for player workload management, frequently discussing the importance of rest periods between international engagements. His position on The Hundred reflects a broader philosophy within Indian cricket that prioritises longevity over short-term commercial gains.

Broader Implications for Global Cricket

The absence of Indian players from The Hundred underscores a persistent tension in modern cricket between national board interests and the growth of franchise-based leagues worldwide. The Indian Premier League remains the gold standard for T20 competitions, and the BCCI shows no signs of loosening its grip on player availability.

This stance has implications for other leagues attempting to compete for talent, including Major League Cricket in the United States and leagues in the Middle East. Without Indian players, these competitions face ceiling effects on their global reach and commercial potential.

The Path Forward

There is no indication that the BCCI will alter its policy in the near term. The 2025 international calendar for India includes home and away series across formats, leaving minimal gaps for franchise cricket overseas. Unless The Hundred restructures its scheduling to avoid clashes with India's bilateral commitments, Indian stars are unlikely to appear in the competition anytime soon.

For English cricket fans, this means continued reliance on Australian, New Zealand, and West Indian internationals to provide the marquee matchups that drive ticket sales and broadcast ratings. The tournament has built a loyal domestic following but remains constrained by its inability to attract the world's largest cricket audience.

What to watch: The Hundred's 2025 draft takes place in February, where franchises will finalise their overseas player rosters. Cricket boards from Pakistan, Australia, and South Africa have indicated willingness to release players, potentially softening the blow of India's continued absence.