"Does this also happen?" - World Cup winning captain's massive take on trophy renaming ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Legendary Indian World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev expressed his disappointment at the Pataudi Trophy being renamed to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ahead of the five-match Test series between India and England. The iconic title, handed out to the winners among the two cricketing heavyweights contested in England, was named after the legendary Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who represented both nations.

Apart from Iftikhar, the Pataudi family has contributed to cricket through Mansoor Ali Khan as well. He led India across 40 Tests after beginning his cricketing career in England through county cricket.

India had won the inaugural Pataudi Trophy in 2007, defeating England 1-0 in a three-match series. Since then, England have managed to win and retain it through three consecutive series wins, and a drawn result in 2021-22.

Kapil Dev admitted feeling strange after witnessing Pataudi's name removed from the Trophy by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"It feels a little strange… like, does this also happen? But that's okay, everything works in cricket. At the end of the day, there is no difference. Cricket is cricket. The cricket on the field should be the same," Kapil Dev said on the sidelines of an event to commemorate his iconic 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 ODI World Cup (via Hindustan Times).

The decision to rename the silverware was criticized by a section of the cricketing world, most notably from Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's wife, Sharmila Tagore, as well as former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

The series-winning captain to be awarded the Pataudi Medal for Excellence in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India batter Sachin Tendulkar and the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah, played a pivotal role in discussions with the ECB and the BCCI to retain Pataudi's name in some capacity during the Test series in England. As a result, the series-winning captain will be bestowed with the Pataudi Medal for Excellence after the end of the fifth Test at The Oval.

The two cricketing boards had planned a ceremony to unveil the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy midway through the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final, but it was cancelled following the unfortunate Ahmedabad plane crash disaster. Team India will take on England in the first Test of the series at Headingley, Leeds, from Friday, June 20, onwards.

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Edited by Gokul Nair