The inaugural edition of a new cricket format, ‘Test Twenty’, is scheduled to be held from November 14 to 29 at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds in Colombo.
Introduced as a fourth format of cricket, the tournament combines the performances of men’s and women’s teams to determine a single overall result. Each match consists of 80 overs, divided into two 40-over segments featuring red-ball and white-ball cricket.
According to an announcement issued on October 16, 160 young cricketers aged between 13 and 21 from around the world are expected to participate. The competition will feature four teams representing different continents, with each team comprising 20 male and 20 female players.
The first 40 overs will be played during the day using a red ball, with players wearing traditional white attire. The remaining 40 overs will be played under floodlights using a white ball, with players wearing coloured clothing.
The overall winner will be determined by combining the scores of the men’s and women’s teams, with both sides’ runs carrying equal weight. A coin toss will determine which team bats first and whether its men’s or women’s side takes the field first.
Thousands of young male and female players from five continents participated in selection trials conducted over 300 days. The final player lists are expected to be announced following a draft scheduled for later this month.
Former international cricket stars AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden and Sir Clive Lloyd are members of the tournament’s advisory board. Rajkumar Sharma, widely known as Virat Kohli’s coach, chairs the global selection committee.
Tournament founder Gaurav Bahirwani said Sri Lanka was selected to host the inaugural edition because of its vibrant school cricket culture and strong interest in young players.
“We have found the perfect location for this tournament. Sri Lanka is a country where stadiums are filled even for school cricket matches. There is no other place in the world that cherishes young cricketers as much as this island nation does,” he said.
Bahirwani also expressed his appreciation to Sri Lanka Cricket and the administration of the SSC.
The tournament will begin with an opening ceremony on November 14, while the final is scheduled for November 29. November 30 has been designated as a reserve day.
All matches are planned to be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network, with arrangements also being made for international broadcasting and online streaming.
The Test Twenty format was developed by Bahirwani, with the rights held by Parity Sports India Private Limited.
