Cricket is set for a major evolution with the introduction of the ‘Test Twenty’ format, combining the strategy of Test cricket with the intensity of T20. Each fixture spans 80 overs, with both teams batting twice—two 20-over innings per side. First-innings scores carry forward into the second, striking a balance between aggression and consistency.
The format allows for every possible result: win, loss, tie, or draw. If combined scores are level, a Super Over will determine the winner, while a team with five wickets remaining can opt for a draw.
The concept, created by Gaurav Bahirvani, Founder and CEO of Test Twenty, was launched with endorsements from cricket greats AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, Harbhajan Singh, and Sir Clive Lloyd, who called it the “next chapter” in cricket.
The inaugural Junior Test Twenty Championship will debut in 2026, featuring players aged 13 to 19. With six franchises — three from India and three abroad (London, Dubai, and a US city) — the event aims to nurture cricket intelligence and decision-making rather than just power hitting.
Players will be chosen via Direct Entry or open AI-assisted trials, evaluated through the Test Twenty Intelligence Index (TTII), a data-based system measuring temperament and cricket IQ. Out of 1,000 shortlisted players, 300 will advance, and 96 will join the founding franchises.
Franchises are expected to attract co-ownership from celebrity and sporting families, described by organisers as those “born with cricket in their blood.”
Innovative rules include a four-over Powerplay per match, optional follow-ons, penalties for slow over rates, and an Early Collapse Clause granting bonus overs to the opposition. Bowlers are capped at eight overs each across both innings, while wides and no-balls carry extra run penalties.
In the event of a tie, a Super Over — or “Super Session” — decides the winner, making ‘Test Twenty’ cricket’s boldest innovation yet.
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