Test Twenty Cricket Season 1: Colombo Launch Set to Unveil Global Youth Format

Cricket is set to introduce a new format with the launch of Test Twenty, an 80-over competition designed to combine the strategic elements of Test cricket with the pace and intensity of T20 cricket. The tournament is exclusive to players aged 13 to 21 and will bring male and female cricketers together, with their combined performances determining the championship winner.

Test Twenty Cricket Season 1 will be held from November 14 to 29, 2026, with four continental franchises competing across a 10-match tournament at the iconic Sinhalese Cricket Club in Colombo. The competition will feature a six-match league stage, followed by Qualifier 1, an Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final.

One of the biggest features of the format is its revolutionary 'Parity Rule', which ensures that boys' and girls' teams contribute to the same match result. The organisers have also introduced eight playing-rule adjustments to create a distinct format that sits between traditional Test cricket and T20 cricket.

Test Twenty Season 1 will be broadcast live on Sony LIV and FanCode. The following details cover the teams, fixtures, format and playing rules.

Test Twenty Cricket Season 1: Teams and Franchises

Test Twenty features four continental founding franchises, each representing a major world region and reflecting cricket's growing global reach and diversity.

• South Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Each franchise will have a 40-member squad comprising 20 boys and 20 girls. The competition is designed for players aged between 13 and 21 from around the world, providing the next generation of cricketers with an opportunity to compete on a global platform.

The Parity Rule: Boys and Girls Compete for the Same Championship

At the heart of Test Twenty is the revolutionary 'Parity Rule', which integrates male and female players into the same competitive ecosystem. Each franchise will field both a boys' XI and a girls' XI, with their performances contributing to the same overall match result and championship standings.

The boys' XI and girls' XI compete across separate 40-over innings, ensuring that both are equal stakeholders in their franchise's pursuit of victory. Under this system, no franchise can claim the championship without the combined contribution of its male and female squads.

The Parity Rule is designed to ensure that the boys' and girls' teams are not competing for separate titles but are instead working towards one common objective. The combined contribution of both squads will determine the franchise's success in the tournament.

Test Twenty Cricket Season 1: Full Schedule

The tournament will begin on November 14, with Sub-Saharan Africa taking on Australasia. The six-match league stage will conclude on November 22, before the playoffs begin on November 24.

• Match 1: November 14 – Sub-Saharan Africa vs Australasia
• Match 2: November 16 – South Asia vs Europe
• Match 3: November 18 – South Asia vs Australasia
• Match 4: November 19 – Europe vs Sub-Saharan Africa
• Match 5: November 21 – South Asia vs Sub-Saharan Africa
• Match 6: November 22 – Australasia vs Europe
• Qualifier 1: November 24 – 1st vs 2nd
• Eliminator: November 25 – 3rd vs 4th
• Qualifier 2: November 27 – Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator
• Final: November 29 – Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2

The tournament features 10 matches in total, with the final scheduled for Sunday, November 29. The top two teams in the league stage will meet in Qualifier 1, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete in the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2, with the winner joining the Qualifier 1 victor in the final.

What is the Test Twenty format?

Test Twenty is an 80-over middle-format competition designed to be completed within a single day. According to the official rule book, each side plays two innings of 20 overs each, taking the total match allocation to 80 overs across four innings.

The first-innings scores are carried forward into the second innings, meaning the final result is determined by the aggregate scores across the four innings. The format also allows a follow-on under specified conditions and offers the possibility of a win, loss, tie or draw.

The possible match results are:

• Win or Loss: Determined by the aggregate scores at the end of the match.
• Tie: If the aggregate scores are level, the match proceeds to a Super Session.
• Draw: The team batting last can play for a draw as long as it has lost fewer than five wickets. Once the fifth wicket falls, the draw option disappears.

The follow-on is permitted if the team batting second trails by at least 75 runs after both teams have completed their first innings.

Test Twenty Cricket: Eight Special Playing Rules Explained

Apart from the foundational laws of cricket, Test Twenty introduces eight specific rule adjustments to add tactical depth and maintain a balance between bat and ball.

1. Powerplay: One four-over Powerplay per team

Each team gets only one Powerplay during the entire match. The captain can choose whether to use it in the first or second innings.

The Powerplay lasts four consecutive overs, during which only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

However, if the captain does not declare the Powerplay by the end of the seventh over of the second innings, it is automatically enforced between overs seven and 10.

2. Follow-on: Enforced after a 75-run deficit

A team can enforce the follow-on if its opponent trails by 75 or more runs after both sides have completed their first innings.

If the captain chooses to enforce it, the team batting second must immediately begin its second innings without a break. The first team then plays its second innings as normal.

3. Early Collapse Clause

If a team is bowled out before completing 10 overs in its first innings, three unused overs are added to the opponent's first innings.

For example, if Team A is dismissed in seven overs, Team B's first innings will be extended from 20 to 23 overs.

This rule does not apply if the batting side is bowled out after completing 10 overs. Both teams continue to receive 20 overs each in their second innings.

4. Bowling Allocation: Separate bowling for boys and girls

The bowling rules are designed to maintain the mixed-gender structure of the competition.

Girls bowl to girls, while boys bowl to boys. Each XI bowls one 20-over innings, and a maximum of five bowlers can be used by each XI.

One designated ace bowler from each XI can bowl up to six overs. The captain must make this decision before the end of the 10th over of that innings.

The six overs do not have to be bowled consecutively and can be distributed according to the team's strategy.

5. Wides and No-Balls: Additional penalty for repeated mistakes

Standard T20 rules apply to wides and no-balls, with one penalty run and an additional delivery. Front-foot no-balls also result in a free hit.

However, Test Twenty introduces an additional discipline penalty. If a bowler delivers three or more wides or no-balls in a single over, the batting team receives an extra three penalty runs.

Umpires also have discretion in the second innings when judging wides, particularly if a batter deliberately moves across the crease under scoreboard pressure.

6. Conditional Draw: Teams can play for a draw with fewer than five wickets down

The draw option is available to the team batting last in the fourth innings.

As long as fewer than five wickets have fallen, the batting side can choose to play for a draw by defending and batting safely. However, once the fifth wicket falls, the draw option is removed, and the match must produce a win or loss based on aggregate runs.

A draw will also be enforced if weather interruptions prevent a clear result.

7. Over Rate and Time Control

Each innings must be completed within a time limit determined by the match referee before the game.

If a team fails to maintain the required over rate, it will face a five-run penalty and lose one strategic time-out.

8. Tie-Breaker: Super Session

If both teams finish with the same aggregate score, the match will be decided through a Super Session, which is a one-over eliminator played by both sides.

If the scores remain tied even after the Super Session, the team with the higher total boundary count across both innings will be declared the winner.

A New Generation: Opportunity for Young Cricketers

Designed exclusively for players aged 13 to 21 from around the world, Test Twenty aims to provide young cricketers with a global platform to showcase their talent, skill, temperament and passion.

The competition seeks to celebrate youth, opportunity and fearless ambition by bringing emerging male and female cricketers together in a format where both contribute equally to their team's success.

With four continental franchises and a combined championship structure, the tournament aims to give the next generation an opportunity to test themselves in a competitive international environment.

Test Twenty Season 1: Where to Watch Live

Test Twenty Season 1 will be broadcast live on Sony LIV and FanCode. Cricket fans can follow the inaugural competition from November 14 to 29, 2026, with the final scheduled for November 29.

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