Kapil Dev expressed his surprise at the rechristening of the Pataudi Trophy by the ECB (Image via X/@LucknowIPL) Legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev expressed surprise over the recent decision to rename the Pataudi Trophy as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, calling the move “strange.” The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) renamed the trophy, awarded to the winner of the Test series hosted by England against India, in honour of cricket legends James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar.“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,” said the legend during an event organised by Three Sixty to commemorate his iconic unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup at Tunbridge Wells.The renaming has sparked criticism from former players like Sunil Gavaskar, who described it as disturbing. The Pataudi Trophy was instituted in 2007 and named after former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, whose family has deep ties to India-England cricket. Both Mansur and his father, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, captained India and played county cricket in England.
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While the trophy’s name has changed, the Pataudi legacy remains honoured through a special medal bearing the Pataudi name, awarded to the captain of the winning team.
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June 18 also marks the 42nd anniversary of Kapil’s memorable hundred at Tunbridge Wells, where he scored an unbeaten 175 to rescue India from 17 for 5 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup. His innings, featuring 16 boundaries and six sixes, remains one of the greatest ODI knocks ever played and was pivotal in India’s eventual World Cup triumph.
