Rehan Ahmed has been snapped up by Birmingham Phoenix as their first direct signing for the 2026 season of The Hundred, signalling the start of a new era for the franchise under private ownership.
The 21-year-old England allrounder makes the move from Trent Rockets, the 2025 runners-up, after an impressive campaign in which he claimed 12 wickets and scored over 180 runs. ESPNcricinfo had revealed Phoenix’s interest earlier this month, and the franchise is also in advanced discussions to retain Jacob Bethell on a lucrative deal, along with South African finisher Donovan Ferreira.
Rehan’s growing reputation is built on his deceptive legspin and fearless batting across formats. He recently played a key role in Leicestershire’s County Championship Division Two title win, taking 23 wickets at an average of 19 and scoring heavily with the bat at 50.67, including five centuries.
The 2026 season will mark the first under the stewardship of performance director James Thomas and new men’s head coach Shane Bond, with Rehan becoming their inaugural signing. Teams are permitted to directly sign or retain up to four players ahead of the March auction, making Rehan the opening move in that window.
“The vision and strategy set out by James and Bondy was something I really wanted to be part of,” Rehan said. “It’s an ambitious franchise with big plans, and Edgbaston is an incredible place to play. I’m really excited to get started and hopefully help the Phoenix challenge for silverware.”
Thomas described Rehan as “one of the players we identified very early on” and a perfect fit for the club’s strategy. “He’s among the most highly rated players in the country and can make a huge impact with both bat and ball. Even at this early stage of his career, his ability is clear, and we’re confident he’ll be a key player next season.”
Rehan’s signing comes after a disrupted few weeks. He returned home early from the England Lions’ tour of Australia with a leg muscle strain sustained in a warm-up match for the first Ashes Test in Perth, but has since returned to Australia to represent Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. In their opening win over Sydney Thunder, he conceded five runs from a wicketless over and scored 2 from 5 balls.
Before the injury, there had been speculation that Rehan could remain with the England senior squad after the Lions programme, having missed out on selection as the second spinner for the Ashes to Will Jacks. Jacks has since been called up for the second and third Tests, with the latter currently underway in Adelaide. Rehan, meanwhile, has already featured in five Tests among his 23 international appearances for England.
