Today, cricket enters a new era as visionary sports entrepreneur Gaurav Bahirvani, and legends of the game, unveiled Test Twenty.
Test Twenty is a revolutionary new format, platform, and global movement that reimagines the future of world cricket and sets the stage for its most ambitious reinvention yet.
It is a bold new evolution that fuses the depth of Test cricket with the energy of T20, built to discover and celebrate the next generation of cricketing royalty, in the world’s first 80-over format.
For decades, cricket has inspired generations, yet lacked a single, unifying stage for young players around the world to rise together. Test Twenty was created to change that – a youth-first global movement designed to discover, nurture, and celebrate emerging talent from every corner of the globe, blending the sport’s timeless artistry with the rhythm of the modern age.
Standing alongside Gaurav Bahirvani, who is Executive Chairman of the One One Six Network and Architect of the Fourth Format, in shaping the future of cricket are some of the sport’s most influential figures – AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh – together forming the cornerstone of the Test Twenty Advisory Board. Their belief is simple yet profound: that cricket must evolve with time while remaining true to its spirit.
Supporting Gaurav’s vision on the operational front is Michael Fordham (former CEO of Rajasthan Royals IPL team), who joins Test Twenty as Chief Operating Officer.
AB de Villiers, Cricket Legend, Ambassador and Board Advisor said:
“I genuinely believe this fourth format can add a new dimension to our game. Many of us have enjoyed the T20 format over the years, but we still hold particular affection for Test cricket – and we want it to be played and enjoyed forever. This new format strikes me as a thoughtful and smart solution. Test Twenty is not trying to replace Test cricket in any way – it seeks to refine it, even to reimagine it for the next generation. I believe it will work. Test20 will reward resilience and flair, endurance and power – the best of both formats, the best of both worlds, a new horizon.”
About the new format
Test Twenty fuses the strategic depth of Test cricket with the speed and spectacle of T20 – a format played over 80 overs, featuring two innings of 20 overs per side, with scores carried forward across innings. Each team bats twice, just like in a Test match, reviving the art of building a game while keeping play concise, dynamic, and broadcast-friendly.
The rules of both Test and T20 cricket apply, with a few refined adjustments to suit the new format. Matches can conclude in a win, loss, tie, or draw, ensuring that every contest retains the full spectrum of cricket’s drama and unpredictability. It’s fast, strategic, and immersive – a format where every over and every decision matters.
The first full season of Test Twenty debuts in January 2026, featuring six high profile global franchises – three international (Dubai, London, and a U.S. city) and three Indian (franchise-choice cities). Each franchise will be backed by a next-generation celebrity stakeholder (“star-kid”), powered by broadcast innovation, and fuelled by talent discovered through the Junior Test Twenty Championship™ (JTTC) – an annual tournament – the world’s largest youth cricket discovery platform spanning 50+ nations.
More than a format, Test Twenty is a youth-first global movement, opening the doors of opportunity to young cricketers aged 13 to 19 from every corner of the world. Players are assessed purely on skill, data, and merit through a multi-tiered, analytics-based selection process, leading to an elite auction pool for franchise selection.
© Cricket World 2025