• ‘It’s a really powerful brand,’ says source involved in talks
• Any changes for 2028 must be agreed by Sky Sports

The England and Wales Cricket Board is pushing ahead with proposals to switch the Hundred to a Twenty20 format, but plans to keep the competition’s name. The Observer has learned that a return to traditional six-ball overs is on the cards when the next television rights cycle begins in 2029, although the Hundred title and branding will remain.

The ECB announced plans for the new shorter format in 2018, with the 100-ball innings divided into sets of five or 10 balls instead of overs, but as it prepares to sell stakes in the eight franchises this autumn a reversion to T20 is expected. Any change to the playing conditions would require the support of the ECB’s TV rights partner, Sky Sports, which expressed scepticism when the idea was first floated last year.