Pataudi Legacy Persists In India-England Test Series Despite Rebranding To Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: Reports

ENG vs IND: The Pataudi legacy has been maintained for the classic India-England rivalry. The decision was taken after the name of legendary Tiger Pataudi was dropped from the trophy and was renamed the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy. To keep the legacy alive after interventions from Sachin Tendulkar, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to present the Pataudi Medal to the captain of the winning side.

Pataudi Legacy Retained As Individual Accomplishment In India-England Series

Before England and India locked horns against each other in the UK, the Pataudi Legacy was taken off by the England Cricket Board. The Pataudi surname was dropped from the trophy that was presented to the series-winning side. The decision taken by the Cricket Board drew criticism from veterans like Sunil Gavaskar, who had called to maintain the rich cricketing tradition to keep the legendary cricketer's legacy alive.

After interruptions from stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, the ECB has assured that the Pataudi name would remain a part of the longstanding rivalry between England and India. Even ICC chairperson Jay Shah backed the initiative to keep the legendary Indian skipper's heritage alive.

"When this happened Sachin reached out to ECB and conveyed that Pataudi name should remain a part of the India-England rivalry. Mr Jay Shah was involved in the discussions. ECB has agreed to the request and decided to present Pataudi Medal to the winning captain," BCCI sources revealed, as quoted by PTI.

The Pataudis have had a clinical impact on the realm of Indian cricket. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, in particular, had represented India and England in the game. His son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, had captained India, and they had won their first-ever overseas series against New Zealand. The Pataudi legacy is a testament to royalty and greatness in the game.

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Why Was The Pataudi Name Dropped Initially?

The England Cricket Board had decided to rename the Pataudi Trophy to honour two of the greatest cricketers in the red-ball format, Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson. The living legends made a difference, with Tendulkar being the leading run-scorer in the format, while Anderson is one of the top wicket-taking pacers.

The rechristening of the trophy was supposed to happen on the sidelines of the recently concluded World Test Championship Final at Lord's. However, the BCCI and ECB postponed the event in light of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad.

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The introduction of the Pataudi Medal keeps the rich history alive and will now be awarded as an individual accomplishment.