Test Twenty: Cricket's Revolutionary New Format to Debut in Sri Lanka
A revolutionary new cricket format, Test Twenty, launches in Colombo this November, combining boys' and girls' scores for a single result.
The world of cricket is about to witness the birth of its "fourth format." Test Twenty, a groundbreaking approach to the game, is set to make its official debut at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 14 to 29.
Breaking away from traditional structures, Test Twenty introduces a unique system of gender parity where the performances of both boys and girls are intertwined to decide the fate of a match. For the first time in the history of the sport, male and female athletes will win or lose as a single unit.
How Test Twenty Works: The Rules of Engagement
The tournament will feature 160 elite young cricketers, aged between 13 and 21, hailing from across the globe. These players have been divided into four continental teams, each consisting of a 40-player squad split equally between 20 girls and 20 boys.
The Combined Score System
While the matches remain separate—the girls' XI will play against a girls' XI, and the boys' XI against a boys' XI—the results are not. Under the "Parity Rule," the runs scored by both the boys' and girls' sides are added together to create a single team total. This combined score determines the overall winner of the encounter.
A Twist to the Toss
The toss in Test Twenty serves a dual purpose. Beyond deciding which team gets to bat first, it also determines the order of play—specifically, whether the girls' match or the boys' match takes place first.
Day-to-Night Transition
Each match is scheduled for 80 overs in a single day, blending the aesthetics and conditions of different formats:
- The First 40 Overs: Played in natural daylight with a red ball, where players will wear traditional whites.
- The Final 40 Overs: Played under floodlights with a white ball, with players switching to coloured clothing.
Crucially, scores carry forward across both sessions without any reset, maintaining the tension throughout the day.
The Road to Colombo: Selection and Leadership
The journey to the inaugural tournament has been rigorous. Thousands of aspiring cricketers from five continents applied, undergoing a 300-day selection process involving both online evaluations and on-ground trials. The final 160 players—80 boys and 80 girls—will be officially named in a players' draft later this month.
The tournament is backed by some of the most respected names in cricket history. The Global Selection Committee is chaired by renowned Indian coach Rajkumar Sharma. Furthermore, the project is guided by an advisory board featuring legends AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, and Sir Clive Lloyd, with operations managed by Mike Fordham.
A Vision of Parity
Founder Gaurav Bahirvani emphasized that Test Twenty is more than just a new set of rules; it is about creating an ecosystem where young players are valued equally.
"Parity is not only in the rules or the way our game is played. It is in the broadcast. Some nights, it will be the girls under the floodlights, in primetime, in front of the world. Other nights, the boys. Every night, one scoreboard," Bahirvani stated.
Bahirvani expressed deep gratitude to Sri Lanka Cricket and the SSC for their support, noting that Sri Lanka was the ideal home for the debut due to the country's immense passion for youth cricket.
Tournament Schedule and Broadcast
The event kicks off with an opening ceremony on November 14, culminating in a grand final on November 29. To account for any unforeseen disruptions, November 30 has been kept as a reserve day. Fans can catch all the action live on the Sony Sports Network.