Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan REJECTED in The Hundred, Pakistan's biggest cricketers go UNSOLD

The Hundred Draft has been an intriguing spectacle to witness as several stars have emerged in it and they will join the limited-ball spectacle. The tournament, which is shorter than the T20Is, often delivers high-octane action, and some of the top stars have cited their interest in competing in the tournament. Big names have been picked by various franchises, which include both men's and women's matches. However, one of the most surprising moments was when some of the top players in the International scene were overlooked at the draft.

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The Hundred Draft, Windies stars emerged as favourites, as global cricketers went unsold  

In 2024, The Hundred will have an action-packed season after a successful Draft took place. A lot of International star players and rising domestic talent were featured in the draft, and some of them were also picked by the franchises. West Indies had a seemingly strong presence in it. Impressive contracts were signed by Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, and Kieron Pollard, demonstrating the franchises' faith in their potent batting abilities. Given that The Hundred is a significantly shorter format, the Windies team, known for having explosive batters, should dominate the competition.

However, there were a couple of jaw-dropping surprises as global cricket superstars were left out by the teams and no one came forward to put a bid for them. Star-Australia opener David Warner, Pakistan's Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, England's Jason Roy and Mark Wood went unsold at the 2024 auction. There is a chance that they can be picked as a replacement player if a vacancy opens up ahead of or during the season.

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London Spirit selected veteran performers Heather Knight and Meg Lanning in The Hundred's Women's Draft. While Chamari Athapaththu joins the Oval Invincibles, the Manchester Originals chose Beth Mooney. Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, two members of Team India's women's squad, were also chosen following their impressive performances in the Women's Premier League 2024. They were the only Indian players selected in the Draft. While Mandhana guided the RCB-W to victory, Ghosh had a strong performance and scored the winning run for Bengaluru. Smriti was chosen by Southern Brave Women's, while her teammate Richa joined Birmingham Phoenix Women's.