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Test Twenty: The daring 'fourth format' marks a new dawn for cricket viewership

Soumyajit Dutta

The Test twenty is a new format to be introduced in January 2026 [Source: @xAbhinavMishra/X.com]The Test twenty is a new format to be introduced in January 2026 [Source: @xAbhinavMishra/X.com]

After The Hundred and T10, cricket’s most daring reinvention, the Test Twenty, is set to take its first step in 2026. Sounds like a hybrid of Test cricket and Twenty20, right? That’s exactly what the format is. The brainchild of sports entrepreneur Gaurav Bahirvani, the CEO of Test Twenty, tries to address the modern era of an attention span–deficit audience.

Before we explore the viewership engagement theory and the prospect of how Test Twenty can evolve from just a franchise cricket league into a global phenomenon involving multiple nations, let’s first understand what Test Twenty is.

What is Test Twenty cricket?

Test Twenty is a proposed hybrid cricket format designed to bridge the gap between traditional Test cricket and modern T20s. Conceived as an 80-over match, it will be played in two innings of 20 overs per side, allowing each team to bat twice within a single day.

Structured across four sessions with strategic breaks, the format aims to blend the tactical depth and patience of Test cricket with the fast-paced, viewer-friendly excitement of T20s.

Supported by an advisory board of legends like AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh, Test Twenty seeks to introduce “Test match thinking in T20 time.” Described as “innovation with intent,” it retains traditional match outcomes while offering a fresh, dynamic spectacle. 

The format aspires to become cricket’s “fourth format,” appealing to a digital-generation audience without sacrificing the sport’s strategic heritage.

Now, this is where things get interesting. The ‘digital appeal’ for the modern-era audience. 

How Test Twenty can be a game-changer for the audience

a person watching Test cricket [Source: @anukul_arora/X.com]a person watching Test cricket [Source: @anukul_arora/X.com]

It is a fact that Test cricket viewership struggles the most among all formats. Data from TOI reports that the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy witnessed 170 million views across OTT and television, whereas the IPL 2025 final had over 1 billion viewers across OTT and television (including progressive viewership count).

The sharp disparity, almost 10x, between two cricket events, both involving India but differing only in format, highlights the challenge. This gap stems from an audience with short attention spans, drawn to fast-paced content and unwilling to sit through the long Test cricket matches on the couch.

Today’s audience constantly juggles between apps and tasks. Multitasking is the norm, and they crave excitement and thrill every minute, something not always possible in a five-day game.

Test Twenty aims to fill this gap. It’s a massive step that could capture a huge market if it resonates with the audience’s pulse. Ambitious yet thoughtful, everything about “Test” in a T20-style package taps the right nerve.

The only obstacle in Test Twenty's way

Yes, Test Twenty can make it big across nations, amid cricket-loving countries, it might even get as big as IPL too, yet it has some boundaries. The 'fourth format' is supposedly set for players aged 13 to 19 as they want to feature the Junior Test Twenty Championship™ (JTTC) across 50+ countries. 

According to Bahirvani, the project's aim is to create an “NCAA-style feeder system” offering equal opportunities for all genders and backgrounds. Using data analytics and AI-based evaluation, the initiative identifies promising young cricketers objectively and helps them progress through national and international talent pathways into professional cricket.

Hence, with the proposed objective, Test Twenty is sounding more like a talent-hunting project rather than an orthodox cricket-watching experience. Plus, the 'unpromised' void of mega cricketing stars would also affect the viewership, which Indian cricket is currently facing, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from T20Is and Test cricket.

The 'fourth format' promise

The bold 'fourth format' is a huge promise for modern-day cricket fans who scroll through Instagram Reels and TikToks. The spice it will deliver is enormous. The joy of watching a team bat for two innings, but on the same day. Shorter than the ODIs, yet it carries the richness of Test cricket.

The giant leap, backed by cricket legends, will be a good call as they start with baby steps in franchise cricket. But what remains to be seen is whether Test Twenty can seep into the global scene or will be a misnomer for the term 'fourth format'.