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AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh have endorsed a newly-launched fourth format called Test Twenty that is set to debut early next year.
The format, intended for youth cricketers between the ages of 13 and 19, will see teams playing four innings of twenty overs each. Matches will be played in whites with the red ball, and will take place over a single day.
The tournament will see a few rule changes to adapt to the synthesis of the two formats. Each team will be eligible to take a four-over long PowerPlay once in the match, and can enforce the follow on with a first-innings lead of 75 runs or more. A maximum of five bowlers may be used across the match, with each bowler allowed to bowl a maximum of eight overs across the match. A match can end with a win or loss, tie, or draw for a team.
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Speaking at the format launch on Thursday, Architect of the Fourth Format Gaurav Bahirvani said, “We’ve combined Test cricket with T20 and fused them into a format that gives today’s generation what they crave for, which is intensity with meaning.”
“If you look around, there is not a single, unifying platform to bring youth cricketers together. Every country has its own system, but you haven’t ever seen kids between 13 and 19 playing together as a part of a single franchise. That multicultural feel, like the IPL, with the kids will be a wonderful new introduction into the world of cricket.”
Bahirvani described the goal of the format as being to “discover, train, and elevate the generation using technology.”
Lloyd, Hayden, de Villiers, and Harbhajan are all members of the Test Twenty advisory board, and all expressed their excitement at the potential for the new format to act as a bridge between formats and generations of the game.
“What excites me most is the real creative freedom that this format brings to the party. It lets players completely express themselves, but also think differently and take the kind of risks that makes cricket so beautiful,” de Villiers said on Thursday. “Beyond that, it also teaches balance, you need to have the ability to survive across two innings.”
Lloyd was also positive in his assessment of the new format. “T20 cricket is an exhibition, and Test cricket is an examination. You’re now combining these two things into one. I’m sure it will be a success.” he said.
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Harbhajan emphasised the importance of engaging crowds in order for the venture to be successful. “It is the crowd that makes any game famous, whether it is cricket, hockey, or even football in Australia. These games are big because crowds get behind it, they endorse it, not just us former players endorsing the format. The best thing we can do is simplify it so that people can understand and connect with it.”
The tournament is expected to bring a host of new innovations along with it, including a proprietary AI Discovery Engine, which intends to combine machine learning and video analytics, along with motion sensor technologies for bats and balls to allow more data-driven youth scouting in its “three-tier selection model”.
The tournament is expected to bring a host of new innovations in its “three-tier selection model”, including a proprietary AI Discovery Engine, which intends to combine machine learning and video analytics, motion sensor technologies for bats and balls, and expert review to allow for more data-driven youth scouting.
Hayden emphasised the potential of being able to combine cutting edge technology with experience from people within the game in order to aid talent development. “It’s a really strong selling point for our youth, who are used to that kind of behavioural pattern of artificial learning and intelligence in their daily routine.
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But the most important part of this system is the interaction it is going to have with great champions like Sir Clive Lloyd, AB de Villiers, Harbhajan. These men and women on board are going to enhance the final skillsets of the 96 players from across the world taking part.”
Bahirvani also expressed the desire for the format to work with cricketing boards, saying, “We hold deep respect for the work of state associations, counties, and national boards across the world; and, above all, for the ICC.
Test Twenty will always remain an ally helping expand the talent pool, serving as a development ladder that strengthens the global feeder line, and building bridges through shared data, technology, and innovation ”.
Chief Operations Officer Michael Fordham also emphasised that the format is intended to complement the existing youth cricket structures. “We’re working with the existing cricketing structures and building something that can be complementary, not competitive to that.”
An accompanying tournament called the Junior Test Twenty Championship is expected to begin early in 2026 to launch the format. The tournament will feature six franchises; three global franchises (London, Dubai, and a US city), and three Indian cities. Each franchise will have 16 players, comprised of eight Indian players and eight international players.
The tournament will be held in India, although Bahirvani expressed the desire to take the league overseas in subsequent seasons. Bahirvani confirmed that the tournament will have only a boys format in its initial season, with a girls format coming in from the second season.
Published on Oct 16, 2025
