The Hundred 2026: Manchester Super Giants Reinforce Their Lineup
The Manchester Super Giants, a newly rebranded team in The Hundred, have announced their retained players for the 2026 season. Jos Buttler and Sophie Ecclestone, both England internationals, are staying on, alongside Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad and South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen. The team also welcomes former Australia captain Meg Lanning, India's World Cup champion Smriti Mandhana, and England spinner Liam Dawson.
Former Australia coach Justin Langer will lead the men's side, while Matthew Mott, a former England white-ball coach, takes charge of the women's team. This change comes after RPSG Group acquired a 70% stake in the franchise, already owning Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League and Durban's Super Giants in South Africa's SA20.
Despite their previous name, Manchester struggled to secure a Hundred title in their first five seasons, though the men's side reached the finals in 2022 and 2023. Buttler, a former England white-ball captain, and Ecclestone have been with the Manchester franchise throughout their Hundred careers.
Lanning joins after playing for Oval Invincibles and London Spirit in the last two seasons, while Dawson spent the last four years at Spirit, starting his Hundred career at Southern Brave. Mandhana, a former Brave player, won the tournament in 2023 but didn't participate last year.
Langer, who has coached Lucknow Super Giants since 2023 and led London Spirit last year, takes over from fellow Australian Simon Katich. Mott, with his successful spell as Australia women's coach from 2015 to 2022, assumes his first head coach role since leaving his England role in 2024. They will be overseen by Tom Moody, who led Oval Invincibles to three consecutive titles from 2023 to 2025, now taking on a global director of cricket role with Super Giants.
The team's badge has also been updated, now featuring an elephant.
