Test Twenty: The game-changing fourth format of cricket

The game of cricket is set to welcome its fourth format, called ‘Test Twenty’, a hybrid that blends the strategy of Test cricket with the intensity of T20s.

The goal is to maintain the tactical depth of the longest format while presenting it as a fast, one-day spectacle. Let’s explore what this new format is and how it will be played.

A new kind of contest

Test Twenty will be an 80-over match, played and completed in a single day. Each team will bat twice, with two innings of 20 overs each, and the first innings’ score will be carried forward.

The game allows for every possible result: win, loss, tie, or draw. If the aggregate scores are level, a Super Over decides the outcome.

But if the batting side survives the entire innings with five wickets in hand, they can choose to settle for a draw.

The idea behind it

The format is the brainchild of Gaurav Bahirvani, Founder and CEO of Test Twenty.

It was officially launched on Thursday with the backing of cricket legends AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, Harbhajan Singh, and Sir Clive Lloyd, all of whom endorsed the innovation as cricket’s “next chapter.”

Its first major event, the Junior Test Twenty Championship, is set to debut in 2026, featuring players aged 13 to 19.

The idea is to provide young cricketers with a global platform that assesses their skills and temperament, rather than just their ability to slog.

Global selection and franchise setup

The championship will feature six franchises, three from India and three international (London, Dubai, and a US city).

Each team will have 16 players, evenly split between Indian and international talent.

Selections will happen through two main routes:

Direct Entry: For players recommended by recognised cricketers, coaches, or administrators.

Standard Entry: Open trials powered by AI and motion sensors to ensure transparency and fairness.

Players will be assessed through the Test Twenty Intelligence Index (TTII), a data-driven system measuring decision-making, temperament, and overall cricketing IQ.

Out of 1,000 shortlisted players, the top 300 will advance, and then 96 players will be drafted by the six founding franchises.

Adding to the glamour, these franchises will reportedly be co-owned by celebrity and sporting families, those who, as the organisers say, “grew up with the game in their blood.”

The rules of the game

Test Twenty introduces several tweaks to traditional laws of the game:

Powerplay: One per match, lasting four overs, taken at the captain’s discretion. If not taken, it will be enforced between overs 7 and 10 of the second innings.

Follow-on: Can be enforced if the second-batting side trails by 75+ runs after the first innings.

Early Collapse Clause: If a team is bowled out before 10 overs in their first innings, the opponent gains three extra overs.

Bowling Restrictions: Only five bowlers allowed per side, with a maximum of eight overs each across both innings.

Wides & No-Balls: Standard T20 rules apply, but three or more in one over adds a three-run penalty.

Over-rate Penalty: Slow over-rates cost five runs and a lost timeout.

Super Session: In case of a tie, one-over eliminator decides the result; if still level, the team with more boundaries wins.