A brand-new format of cricket known as Test Twenty is scheduled to make its global debut at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The inaugural tournament will run from November 14 to November 29, bringing together young cricketers from around the world to compete under a unique mixed-gender scoring structure designed to promote parity in the sport. The competition features a completely different approach to standard limited-overs cricket, combining the performances of both boys and girls into one unified match outcome.
Tournament Structure and Rules
The groundbreaking competition will feature 160 players aged between 13 and 21, divided evenly into four continental teams consisting of 40 players each, split into 20 boys and 20 girls. In every fixture, the girls’ team will play against their opposing girls’ XI, while the boys’ team will face the corresponding boys’ XI. However, the total runs scored by both sides are added together to form a single team total, which ultimately decides the winner of the match.
- Matches are played over a total of 80 overs within a single day of action.
- The first 40 overs take place in daylight using a red ball with players wearing traditional whites.
- The remaining 40 overs are played under floodlights with a white ball and coloured clothing.
- Scores carry forward continuously across both sessions without any reset between halves.
Global Selection and Advisory Support
Thousands of hopeful players from five continents registered for the tournament, undergoing rigorous ground and online trials over the preceding months. The final squads were selected by a Global Selection Committee chaired by prominent coach Rajkumar Sharma. Furthermore, the initiative is backed by a distinguished advisory board featuring legendary figures such as AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, and Sir Clive Lloyd, with operations overseen by experienced sports administrator Mike Fordham.
Founder Gaurav Bahirvani emphasized that the format ensures absolute equality, noting that prime-time television slots under the floodlights will alternate equally between the boys’ and girls’ matches. Official broadcasting will be handled by the Sony Sports Network, bringing international exposure to the next generation of talent. Following the conclusion of the tournament matches, November 30 has been kept designated as a formal reserve day to account for any weather disruptions in Colombo.
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