A new season throws its challenges, which will call for new strategies, and the sides that execute their plans better would take the lead over others. While it would be a tough call to pick up a winner at this point, here we look at the compositions of the eight sides, and this would perhaps allow you to come up with your own The Hundred predictions -
# Oval Invincibles
Sam Billings and his men have been phenomenal in the last two seasons. They have won back-to-back titles and will aim for their third consecutive one. Like in 2023, the team dominated during the league stage last season, finishing at the top of the points table with six wins in eight games and edged past the Southern Brave in the final. Their batsmen did well, and the bowlers were on the money. Billings would like a similar performance from his team and expects stars like Sam Curran, Dawid Malan, Jordan Cox, and Rashid Khan to excel. They have depth in their batting and an aggressive bowling attack. They are one of the favorites this season.
Squad - Sam Billings (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Jordan Cox, Rashid Khan, Saqib Mahmood, Gus Atkinson, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira, Tawanda Muyeye, Jason Behrendorf, Jordan Clark, Miles Hammond, George Scrimshaw, Zafar Gohar
# Manchester Originals
Jos Buttler and his men would look to get over the 2024 season. From being one of the most consistent teams in the first three editions, the team hit a low last year, finishing seventh on the points table with only one win to their credit. The team paid the price for inconsistency, as the key players failed to deliver. They have an explosive batting lineup featuring Buttler, Phillip Salt, and Heinrich Klaasen, which will trouble bowling attacks. The bowling attack appears weak compared to other teams, but the side will compensate with its batting strength. The team expects the bowling attack to perform well and challenge their opponents.
Squad – Jos Buttler (c), Phil Salt, Heinrich Klaasen, Matthew Hurst, Scott Currie, Josh Tongue, Tom Hartley, Sonny Baker, Tom Aspinwall, Noor Ahmad, Rachin Ravindra, Lewis Gregory, Ben McKinney, George Garton, James Anderson, Marchant de Lange
# Southern Brave
They won the inaugural season in 2021 and came close to winning their second title but lost in the final against the Oval Invincibles. They finished third on the points table last year and have been one of the most consistent teams in the last four editions. James Vince, one of the prolific scorers in the tournament, finishing as the leading scorer last year, will look to lead from the front. They have several good players on the side, including Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills, Jason Roy, and Chris Jordan. They have one of the best bowling attacks this season, and the side will look to put up a strong challenge in every game it plays.
Squad – James Vince (c), Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills, Chris Jordan, Jason Roy, Leus Du Plooy, Craig Overton, Laurie Evans, Finn Allen, Danny Briggs, James Coles, Michael Bracewell, Reece Topley, Jordan Thompson, Toby Albert, Hilton Cartwright
# Trent Rockets
The Trent Rockets won the title in 2022, but since then, they have struggled to repeat the magic. The side has finished fifth on the points table in the last two seasons and failed to reach the Eliminator. David Willey takes over the captaincy from Lewis Gregory for this edition, and the Rockets' skipper would look to relive the form they had three years ago. Willey leads a star-studded side with the firepower to defeat any side. Tom Banton, Tom Alsop, and Joe Root make this a formidable batting lineup, and there is Lockie Ferguson to work his magic with the ball. The team has a few other specialists and will be one of the teams to watch out for this year.
Squad - David Willey (c), Joe Root, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Cook, Sam Hain, Tom Alsop, Calvin Harrison, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, George Linde, Adam Hose, Rehan Ahmed, Callum Parkinson, Ben Sanderson
# Welsh Fire
The Welsh Fire didn't have much to celebrate last season. They won only two out of eight games and finished 6th on the points table. Tom Abell stays on as captain, and he would like his team to make a fresh start and aim for their first title. They have a strong batting lineup with Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Steve Smith. However, the bowling attack looks weak, and they expect Chris Woakes, Riley Meredith, and Mason Crane to do well against the strong batting lineups they will face. It will be interesting to see if Welsh Fire's batting firepower can help them script history in 2025.
Squad - Tom Abell (c), Steve Smith, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Luke Wells, Stephen Eskinazi, Chris Woakes, David Payne, Paul Walter, Riley Meredith, Cameron Green, Saif Zaib, Josh Hull, Mason Crane, Ajeet Singh Dale, Ben Kellaway
# Birmingham Phoenix
The team had a strong performance last season, finishing second on the points table in the league stage, but struggled against Southern Brave in the Eliminator. Liam Livingstone takes over the captaincy of the team and will look to breathe in fresh ideas and approaches. He brings in a lot of experience and would look to lead from the front. They have a strong batting lineup with Ben Duckett and Will Smeed. Trent Boult and Tim Southee are among the best bowlers in this format. The team has depth in both departments, and it will be interesting to see if they can leverage it in this game.
Squad - Liam Livingstone (c), Ben Duckett, Trent Boult, Jacob Bethell, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Dan Mousley, Tim Southee, Will Smeed, Chris Wood, Aneurin Donald, Joe Clarke, Harry Moore, Tom Helm, Liam Patterson-White, Louis Kimber
# London Spirit
They have been the worst-performing side in the last four seasons. They finished at the bottom of the points table last season and haven't gone beyond the 7th position. The team has undergone significant changes for this season, and Kane Williamson takes over as captain, looking to inject energy into the team. David Warner, Jamie Smith, Williamson, and Wayne Madsen are the key batters for the team, and they will look to retain their consistency throughout the season. Jamie Overton, Richard Gleeson, and Olly Stone make it a good bowling attack and will look to deliver. The team must demonstrate a fighting spirit to overcome their past horrors and compete fiercely on the field.
Squad - Kane Williamson (c), Liam Dawson, Daniel Worrall, Richard Gleeson, Olly Stone, Ollie Pope, Keaton Jennings, David Warner, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Luke Wood, Ashton Turner, Jafer Chohan, Wayne Madsen, Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins
# Northern Superchargers
The Superchargers performed well last season, winning five out of their eight games. However, the team was unlucky to have missed the Eliminator game by a whisker. Harry Brook would like the team to get over the upset. They have a good squad with match-winners like Michael Pepper, Adil Rashid, and Mitchell Santner. Other T20 stars on the side include David Miller, Dawid Lalan, and Callum Parkinson. The side looks strong in every department, and the skipper would hope to make a good start and build on the momentum.
Squad - Harry Brook (c), Adil Rashid, David Miller, Mitchell Santner, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Ben Dwarshuis, Graham Clark, Pat Brown, Tom Lawes, Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Dawid Malan, James Fuller, Rocky Flintoff
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To term the T20 calendar as crowded would be an understatement. We have the ongoing T20 Blast and a few other minor leagues around the world. We have recently had Major League Cricket across the pond in North America. We now begin the countdown for the 5th edition of The Hundred. All eyes will be on cricket's country of birth as we see action in a format that has thrown in a lot of surprises. The 100-ball games have necessitated that teams re-strategize their approaches. 
