Colombo, Oct 17:
A new cricket format called Test Twenty will make its debut at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo from November 14 to 29, bringing together boys’ and girls’ teams in a competition designed to combine their performances into a single result.
The inaugural tournament will feature 160 cricketers aged between 13 and 21, selected from across the world and divided into four continental teams. Each team will have a squad of 40 players, comprising 20 boys and 20 girls.
The organisers describe Test Twenty as the fourth format of cricket, with its central feature being the integration of men’s and women’s performances into one team score. Unlike conventional competitions, in which the results of men’s and women’s matches are decided separately, this format will determine a team’s result through the combined contributions of both groups.
Each match will be played over 80 overs in a single day, divided into two 40-over sessions. The first session will take place during daylight, with players wearing traditional white clothing and using a red ball. The second session will be played under floodlights, with coloured clothing and a white ball.
Scores from the first session will carry forward into the second, with no reset between the two halves. The combined total will determine the winning team.
A different approach to the toss
The format will also introduce a distinctive rule governing the toss. Besides determining which team bats first, the toss will decide whether the girls’ or boys’ match is played in the first session.
Under the tournament’s Parity Rule, the performances of the two groups are directly linked. Runs scored by the girls will contribute to the result of the boys’ match, while the boys’ performance will influence the girls’ result. The scores are combined to produce one overall outcome for the team.
The organisers say the rule is intended to ensure that neither group competes in isolation and that every player’s contribution matters to the team’s final position. The format also seeks to give girls and boys equal prominence in the competition and its broadcast coverage.
The tournament will open with a ceremony on November 14, while the final is scheduled for November 29. November 30 has been designated as a reserve day. All matches will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network.
Global talent identification
The 160 players will be selected through a process involving trials held on the ground and online. According to the organisers, thousands of young cricketers from five continents registered their interest, with the selection process extending over approximately 300 days.
The final group will form the inaugural batch of Test Twenty players, representing a new international platform for young cricketers. The players’ draft is scheduled to determine the final squads later this month.
The tournament’s Global Selection Committee is chaired by Delhi-based coach Rajkumar Sharma. Its advisory board includes former international stars AB de Villiers, Matthew Hayden and Sir Clive Lloyd, while Mike Fordham will lead tournament operations.
Gaurav Bahirvani, founder of Test Twenty and the creator of the Parity Rule, said the project had developed from an idea into an international competition intended to offer young players a distinct format of their own.
He said the tournament’s approach to parity would extend beyond the rules to the broadcast itself, giving boys and girls equal opportunities to play in prominent time slots and attract audiences.
Sri Lanka to host the inaugural edition
The choice of Sri Lanka as the host nation reflects the country’s longstanding enthusiasm for cricket, particularly school-level competitions. Bahirvani said Sri Lanka Cricket and the SSC had supported the initiative and helped bring together young cricketers from different parts of the world.
The organisers hope the tournament will offer an alternative pathway for emerging talent while testing whether a combined boys’ and girls’ competition can attract a wider audience. By linking both groups’ performances directly to the final result, the format places cooperation and shared responsibility at the centre of the contest.
The inaugural edition will provide the first opportunity to assess how the rules work in competitive conditions and how players, broadcasters and spectators respond to the concept. Its success could influence plans for future editions and the development of the format.