Boys and Girls to Play in the Same Team Under New Test Twenty Format

The new Test Twenty format will place boys and girls in the same teams, with runs from separate innings counting together. Colombo will host the first tournament from November 14 to 29, 2026, featuring 160 young cricketers.

The competition combines two innings per team with 20-over cricket. Each side will have separate girls’ and boys’ playing elevens, with both groups contributing to the same match result.

Girls’ and Boys’ Runs Will Count Towards One Result

A girls’ XI will face the opposing girls’ XI, while a boys’ XI will play the opposing boys’ XI. Both groups will represent the same franchise.

Organizers call the scoring arrangement the “Parity Rule.” A team’s girls’ score of 140 and boys’ score of 175, for example, would add up to 315 runs.

80 Overs from Day to Night

The basic match schedule consists of four 20-over innings, totalling 80 overs in one day. Players will wear whites and use a red ball during the first 40 overs.

The remaining 40 overs will take place under floodlights, with players switching to coloured clothing and a white ball. Runs from the daytime session will carry forward into the evening.

The toss will decide which team bats first and whether the girls or boys play the opening session.

Players Aged 13 to 21 Get Their Own Tournament

The inaugural tournament will feature 160 players aged 13 to 21, split across four continental teams. Each team will have a 40-player squad, including 20 boys and 20 girls.

Rajkumar Sharma, Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, leads the global selection committee. A player draft later in October will confirm the final squads.

Losing Five Wickets Ends the Chance of a Draw

The published rules allow each playing XI a maximum of five bowlers. A captain has until the end of the 10th over to nominate one bowler for up to six overs.

The side batting last retains a draw option while fewer than five wickets have fallen. Once the fifth wicket falls, the option ends, leaving the combined score to determine a win or loss.

Equal totals lead to a one-over eliminator. If scores remain level, the team with more boundaries across both innings wins.

De Villiers and Hayden Advise Test Twenty Organizers

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden and former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd serve on the advisory board.

Gaurav Bahirvani founded Test Twenty, while Mike Fordham leads operations. Bahirvani says the competition aims to give girls’ and boys’ performances equal weight in their team’s result.

Colombo to Host the Final on November 29

Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club will host the event. Organizers have scheduled the opening ceremony for November 14 and the final for November 29, with November 30 as a reserve day.

According to the organizers, Sony Sports Network will broadcast the matches live.