MI London has bolstered its squad with the signing of international stars Nicholas Pooran and Hayley Matthews, while Welsh Fire has secured Freya Kemp and Rachin Ravindra. These high-profile signings come ahead of The Hundred 2026 season.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be rejoining his former franchise Manchester Originals team-mate Phil Salt at MI, with the West Indian star Pooran bringing much-needed firepower to the men's squad. Meanwhile, New Zealand all-rounder Melie Kerr and Windies batter Hayley Matthews are set to join Welsh Fire.
These signings mark a significant shift in strategy for both franchises as they prepare for The Hundred 2026 season. With teams allowed to retain four players before the auction, these moves aim to build a strong foundation for each franchise's squad.
MI chair Oli Slipper expressed his excitement about the new additions, stating that fans were wowed by Khan's performances last summer and praising Pooran as an "incredibly dynamic and exciting cricketer." Welsh Fire general manager Mark Wallace welcomed Kemp and Ravindra to their team, acknowledging that these signings will give them a solid base for building the squad.
As The Hundred 2026 season approaches, fans can expect to see some thrilling cricket from both MI London and Welsh Fire.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be rejoining his former franchise Manchester Originals team-mate Phil Salt at MI, with the West Indian star Pooran bringing much-needed firepower to the men's squad. Meanwhile, New Zealand all-rounder Melie Kerr and Windies batter Hayley Matthews are set to join Welsh Fire.
These signings mark a significant shift in strategy for both franchises as they prepare for The Hundred 2026 season. With teams allowed to retain four players before the auction, these moves aim to build a strong foundation for each franchise's squad.
MI chair Oli Slipper expressed his excitement about the new additions, stating that fans were wowed by Khan's performances last summer and praising Pooran as an "incredibly dynamic and exciting cricketer." Welsh Fire general manager Mark Wallace welcomed Kemp and Ravindra to their team, acknowledging that these signings will give them a solid base for building the squad.
As The Hundred 2026 season approaches, fans can expect to see some thrilling cricket from both MI London and Welsh Fire.
Like, MI London is totally getting a boost with Nicholas Pooran and Hayley Matthews on board - those girls are absolute fire 
! And Rashid Khan coming back to Manchester Originals is just... yeah! 
The Hundred 2026 season is shaping up to be EPIC! 
But at the same time, I'm all like "wait, what's going on with Welsh Fire?" Freya Kemp and Rachin Ravindra are cool and all, but I think they're kinda getting overlooked in the hype 
. Still, it's gonna be a wild ride this season! 
. Pooran thinks he's the answer to their prayers with his 'firepower'? Please, he's a one-dimensional player who'll get smashed by anyone with even half a brain 
. And what's with MI London bringing back Khan and not addressing any of his off-field issues? It's just gonna be another PR stunt 
...
the teams are just trying to fill their squads with high-profile players so they can get more attention & revenue from the fans... newsflash: The Hundred is all about the benjamins 
. and what's up with the retention rule, like, it's just a way for them to keep the same old faces and charge us even more for tickets 
. these signings might bring some excitement at first, but eventually they'll just be a bunch of overpaid players who can't even crack a decent century 
.
And Welsh Fire getting Freya Kemp and Rachin Ravindra is like a dream come true for any cricket fan. I'm loving how both franchises are building their squads, it's gonna be epic at The Hundred 2026 season! 
about mumbai indians signing nicholas pooran and rashid khan 
can't wait for the hundred 2026 season to see these teams in action 
. And with Rashid Khan back on board at Manchester Originals, the competition just got even more fierce