Cricket is set to welcome a brand new format next year – Test Twenty – which is billed to "fuse the depth of Test cricket with the energy of T20", and has been spearheaded by high profile names in the sport.
What are the rules of Test Twenty?
The format will be an 80 over game, featuring two innings of 20 overs per side. Just like a Test match, scores will be carried forward across each innings, with matches able to end in a win, loss, tie or draw, with a draw necessitating the team batting last to retain at least five of their wickets until the last ball. If the match ends in a draw, there will also be a super over.
According to the format's website, each team will be entitled to one powerplay per match. The captain may choose whether to take it in the first innings or the second. The powerplay will last for four overs, during which only two fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle. The format organisers claim having to choose which innings to take the powerplay in "forces discipline, decision-making, and tactical risk-taking."
ALSO READ: From broomsticks to bouquets – Visakhapatnam’s 137-year-old connect with women’s cricket
The follow-on can be enforced when a team trails by 75 runs or more after both sides have batted once, rather than the usual 200-run mark in Test cricket. Other quirky rules include the 'early collapse clause' which would see teams who bowl sides out in fewer than 10 overs in their first innings will win an addition three overs to their own innings. While a maximum of five bowlers can be used per match, each bowling a maximum of eight overs, captains may decide how to split those overs, for example bowling three overs in one innings and five in the second.
Where will the format be played?
The first season of Test Twenty will begin in January 2026, and will feature six franchise teams, one each from Dubai, London and a yet to be confirmed US city, and three from India. Players will be able to register for the league from 7pm IST on October 16. Other applicants will be able to enter through the tournament's AI Discovery Engine, which will select names to make up a 1000-person player-pool.
From that pool, 300 players will advance to the Global Auction Pool, where franchises will draw talent for the inaugural season. Each franchise will put together a 16-player squad, which will comprise of eight Indian players and eight international players.
ALSO READ: Food, cameras, action: What it takes to host a Test match in India's capital city
Who is backing the format?
Several high-profile names have put their weight behind the format, including AB de Villiers. “I genuinely believe this fourth format can add a new dimension to our game," said De Villiers, who sits on the Test Twenty advisory board. “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.”
In addition to De Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh also sit on the advisory board. “Having lived through every era of cricket, I can say this - the game has always adapted, but never this thoughtfully. Test Twenty brings back the art and rhythm of the sport, yet keeps it alive with modern energy,” said Lloyd.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
