Test Twenty Explained: Know All The Rules Of World’s First 80-Over Format

Cricket is set to undergo another big change as some of the big names from the cricketing world have come together to announce a new format: Test Twenty. This will be another evolution in the game that already has three internationally recognised formats and some more played at league levels.

Legends like AB de Villiers, Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh have joined the Test Twenty Advisory Board while former CEO of Rajasthan Royals Michael Fordham has been come on board as the Chief Operating Officer.

Check out what are the rules for this upcoming format dubbed as a revolutionary evolution to the game of cricket.

Test Twenty Format Explained

The format tries to mix the aspects of Test cricket with T20. This is set to be the first 80-over format in the world. The entire game will be stretched over 80 overs. However, instead of both teams batting 40 overs in one stretch, teams will get two innings of 20 overs per side.

The scores will be carried forward across innings. Each team bats twice, just like in a Test match.

The rules of both Test and T20 cricket apply, with a few refined adjustments to suit the new format.

All four results are possible and thus matches can conclude in a win, loss, tie, or draw.

Test Twenty will be a youth-first global movement, opening the doors of opportunity to young cricketers aged 13 to 19 from every corner of the world.

When is Test Twenty League

The first full season of Test Twenty debuts in January 2026, featuring six high profile global franchises - three international (Dubai, London, and a US city) and three Indian.

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-plus nations.