The format adds to the arsenal of the game.
There’s no doubt that Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. But when someone says that statement henceforth, one has got to stop and ask, ‘which one?’ After the three official formats which already exist, the cricketing fraternity is set to welcome a fourth member to its arsenal of formats – the Test Twenty. The name makes a lot of questions pop up in one’s mind, and here’s everything to answer the question: What is Test Twenty?
As the name suggests, the Test Twenty is an amalgamation of two formats, the Test and the T20I format which currently, are the shortest and longest official formats in the game. But it comes with a twist. The Test Twenty is like a Test match wrapped around in four innings of 20 overs each. Though the exact rules of the format are yet to be unknown, they are expected to target the age group of 13-19.
There were doubts initially, as stakeholders feared that the fans would lose their grip on the purest format, which is Test cricket. However, the organizer, Gaurav Bahirvani looks at this as an opportunity to take the game to countries that are not yet well equipped with cricket. With the same vision, a packet full of surprises and curiosity awaits the cricketing ecosystem.
ALSO READ:
Former cricketers Matthew Hayden, Clive Lloyd, Harbhajan Singh and AB de Villiers unveiled the newest entrant on Thursday, alongside the organizer Gaurav Bahirvani. Though the championship targets to attract crowds across the globe, it is set to kickstart in India, and we might see the ball rolling as early as January 2026.
There will be six franchises in the championship. While three franchises will be from India, the remaining three are expected to be from anywhere else in the world. To add to that, each franchise would have 16 players, which would be split into eight Indians and as many foreigners. A wildcard pool for extra players will also be planned, which will assist in the mid-season selections, if any.
In a massive move to attract more and more youth to watch the sport, entry for spectators in the 13-19 age group will be free of cost. However, they would have to carry an ID proof with them. The participation of women cricketers is expected to take place from the second season onwards.
“We’re going to play in India for a couple of years, and the idea is to make it a touring league. The reason for that is also that I’m very interested in non-traditional nations to step in. I want kids from those countries to also pick up cricket as an opportunity as a sport like we do in India” said the organizer, Gaurav Bahirvani in an interview at the time of unveiling.
The game would be played like a Test match itself. The only difference being, there would be four innings of 20 overs each, which would make the teams plans better due to the restrictions in the number of overs. A win, loss, draw and tie would be the results possible for every fixture.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
