Lahore (Sports Desk): A new and unique cricket format, called “Test-Twenty,” is set to be introduced, featuring boys and girls on the same team. Although they will play separate innings, the scores of both groups will contribute to their team’s overall result.
The distinctive tournament will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 14 to 29, 2026, giving young cricketers an opportunity to showcase their talent.
According to the organisers, 160 young players aged between 13 and 21 will participate in the competition, divided into four continental teams. Each team will consist of 20 boys and 20 girls.
Under this format, boys will compete against boys in their respective matches, while girls will face other girls. However, the outcome of each match will be determined by the combined scores achieved by both groups.
One Match, Two Styles of Cricket
Under the Test-Twenty format, each match will consist of 80 overs. The first 40 overs will be played during the daytime with a red ball and traditional white clothing, while the remaining 40 overs will take place under floodlights with a white ball and coloured clothing.
The new format therefore seeks to combine elements of traditional Test cricket with the styles used in limited-overs cricket.
Cricket Legends Join Advisory Board
The tournament’s advisory board includes former South African captain AB de Villiers, former Australian batter Matthew Hayden, and former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd.
Rajkumar Sharma, childhood coach of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, will head the global selection committee.
The event will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, with the final scheduled for November 29. All matches are expected to be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network.
This new cricket experiment aims to combine the separate performances of boys and girls into a shared team result. It remains to be seen how popular the format becomes among fans and young players.