After ODIs, T20Is and Tests, cricket set to introduce a new format: All you need to know

The new cricket format, Test Twenty, will debut at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from Nov 14 to 29, featuring boys’ and girls’ teams whose combined scores will determine the final result. According to a press release, the inaugural edition of what has been described as “cricket’s fourth format” will feature 160 players aged between 13 and 21. Selected from across the world, they will be divided into four continental teams, each consisting of 20 boys and 20 girls.

In every match, the girls’ XI will compete against the girls’ XI, while the boys’ XI will face their counterparts. However, the runs scored by both teams will be added together to produce a combined total, which will determine the winner.

The format will also introduce a new rule for the toss. Apart from deciding which team bats first, the toss will determine whether the boys’ or girls’ match is played first.

Under the format’s Parity Rule, the runs scored by one group will directly affect the result of the other group’s match, the press release stated.

Each match will feature 80 overs and be completed in a single day. The first 40 overs will be played during daylight using a red ball, with players wearing white kits. The remaining 40 overs will take place under floodlights, using a white ball and coloured kits. The scores from both sessions will carry forward, with no reset between them.

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The tournament will begin with an opening ceremony on Nov 14, while the final is scheduled for Nov 29. All matches will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network.

Thousands of young cricketers from five continents registered for the tournament. Over the past 300 days, players progressed through on-field and online trials before the Global Selection Committee picked the final group. The committee is chaired by Rajkumar Sharma, one of India’s most respected cricket coaches.

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The final 160 players, including 80 boys and 80 girls, will be confirmed through a draft later this month. They will form the first batch of Test Twenty players.

The tournament also has an advisory board featuring AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden and Sir Clive Lloyd. With Rajkumar Sharma leading the Global Selection Committee and Mike Fordham overseeing operations, the initiative brings together experienced figures from across the cricketing world to support young talent.

Test Twenty founder Gaurav Bahirvani said the tournament aims to establish a new format and create opportunities for young cricketers, with boys’ and girls’ performances having equal importance in deciding results.

He also thanked Sri Lanka Cricket and the SSC for supporting the inaugural edition in Colombo, calling it a historic moment for the sport.

With inputs from agencies