ONE ONE SIX NETWORK, led by Gaurav Bahirvani, has launched Test Twenty, a new cricket format that merges the depth of Test cricket with the fast-paced T20 cricket. The new 80-over format features two innings of 20 overs per side, with scores carried forward across innings ensuring that every run and wicket contributes to the final outcome.
Drawing from both traditional and modern formats, Test Twenty retains the rules of Test and T20 cricket, with a few refined modifications. Matches can end in a win, loss, tie, or draw, preserving cricket’s complete spectrum of outcomes and maintaining its unpredictability.
Test Twenty is a youth-first global movement, opening the doors of opportunity to young cricketers aged 13 to 19 from every corner of the world. Players are assessed purely on skill, data, and merit through a multi-tiered, analytics-based selection process, leading to an elite auction pool for franchise selection. From Season two, it expands further to include women cricketers, as per an official media release.
The first full season of Test Twenty is set to debut in January 2026, featuring six global franchises: three international (Dubai, London, and a US city) and three Indian (franchise-choice cities). “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+ nations.”, the media release added.
Test Twenty’s advisory board includes some of cricket’s most respected names: AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh; with Michael Fordham appointed as chief operating officer.
Bahirvani said, “This is not another league; it’s a living tribute to the spirit of cricket. We’re preserving the game’s legacy while shaping its future. Test Twenty® is built to reignite the emotion, artistry, and endurance of Test cricket; all within a single day.”
