New captains, new opponents, same dreams: What 2026 season looks like for Sussex

Many of the squad have been back in training for a while now, while others are drifting back in from international and franchise commitments over the winter.

The 2025 season was a solid one for Sussex, headlined by a fourth-placed finish on their return to Division One of the County Championship for the first time in 10 seasons.

They finished fifth in Group B of the One Day Cup, two places away from qualifying for the knockout stages, and although they finished sixth in the South Group of the T20 Blast, they were still in the mix for a quarter-final spot until defeat to table-topping Surrey in their final game.

With changes to the squad and captaincy, a new format for the T20 Blast and intriguing fixtures, the 2026 season promises to be just as eventful and entertaining as ever at Hove.

Here’s what Sussex fans can look forward to in 2026…

Squad Changes

Sussex have been busy over the off season, adding a mixture of youth and experience to the changing room for the 2026 season.

Dominic Goodman and Tom Price have been brought in from Gloucestershire, significantly bolstering Sussex’s bowling stocks.

Fast bowler Goodman picked up career-best match figures of 9-87 at the start of last season, whilst Price’s handy medium pace dovetails well with his contributions with the bat lower down the order.

Both will be important additions to the Sussex squad, with Price’s all-round credentials in particular highlighted by him being the only player in the history of first-class cricket to score a century and take a hat-trick on the same day.

To go with the more youthful pair of Goodman and Price, Sussex have also picked up the experience of Danny Briggs and Jack Leaning.

Left-arm spinner Briggs returns to the county from Warwickshire, after a previous spell between 2016 and 2020, adding skill and nous, especially in the shortest form of the game. He has played 383 white-ball matches across his career and boasts the record of most wickets in the T20 Blast, with 246.

Meanwhile, Leaning has signed from Kent and will bring further maturity to the squad, demonstrated by his 332 career matches so far. His 14 professional centuries will sure up the Sussex batting unit and Leaning will be available to play in all three formats.

Alongside these additions, Ari Karvelas, Bertie Foreman, Archie Lenham, Zach Lion-Cachet and Henry Rogers have all bid farewell to Hove, after being released.

On an overseas front, Indian bowler Jaydev Unadkat will return to the county for the final eight County Championship matches of 2026.

Captaincy Shift

The county’s old and new charges will be under the management of a new leadership team, which was announced last week.

Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace confirmed that John Simpson would continue in his role as Club Captain, but would hand over leadership of the County Championship and One Day Cup sides.

Ollie Robinson has been named as a full-time captain for the first time, as he will take over the reigns of the county’s red-ball side. He will be assisted by vice-captain Tom Haines, who has previously led Sussex in both red and white-ball cricket, as well as the England Lions on their recent tour of Australia.

Off-spinner Jack Carson takes over the One Day Cup captaincy from Simpson, although Tymal Mills has retained the Sharks’ captaincy for the T20 Blast.

County Championship

After their positive return to Division One of the County Championship, Sussex will be looking to build upon their fourth-place finish in 2025.

In the two promoted sides, Leicestershire and Glamorgan, they will take on two counties they have not faced at the top table of English cricket for more than 20 years.

Sussex start their campaign with a trip to Leicestershire, before concluding by heading along the South coast to play Hampshire.

Leicestershire’s Division Two title in 2025 saw them secure a return to Division One for the first time since 2003, which was the same year that Sussex claimed their first County Championship title.

Sussex actually sealed their triumph with a victory over Leicestershire in their last game of the season at Hove, courtesy of a Murray Goodwin boundary that provided them with the required bonus points to be champions.

In the intervening years between the two counties’ return to Division One, they have met many times in Division Two, with Sussex unbeaten in their last five encounters.

Glamorgan will also be in Division One for the first time since 2005, when Sussex finished third, as the Welsh side were relegated.

Both sides have a win apiece across their last five matches in Division Two.

One Day Cup

The One Day Cup will take place slightly earlier this year, starting in late July as opposed to early August.

Sussex will once again compete in Group B, although Gloucestershire, last season’s champions Worcestershire Rapids, Glamorgan and Derbyshire Falcons have entered the group. They replace Yorkshire Vikings, Middlesex, Kent Spitfires and Lancashire Lightning.

The Sharks will start the competition against Glamorgan at Neath, before finishing the group stage on the road at Middlesex.

T20 Blast

The most significant changes to the domestic schedule for 2026 can be seen in the format of the T20 Blast, which has reverted back to a structure last seen in 2020.

The two groups of nine have been replaced by three groups of six, with Sussex competing in the South group. Each side will play 12 matches instead of 14 and the entire tournament will be completed in one block, prior to The Hundred, with Finals Day on Saturday, July 18.

The Sharks will start with a trip to Essex on Friday, May 22, with their last group stage match being ‘El Classicoast’ against Hampshire at Hove.

With the new format, Sussex will also play their first ever T20 match against Leicestershire Foxes at Hove on Friday, June 5 and their second ever T20 game against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 1.

The revamp of the T20 Blast will also see 61 double-headers alongside the Women’s T20 Blast.