'It feels a little strange' - Kapil Dev on renaming of Pataudi Trophy

Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev admitted that it feels strange to see the Pataudi Trophy renamed as Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ahead of India’s five-match Test series against England, set to begin on June 20 at Leeds.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently rechristened the Pataudi Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the Test series between England and India in England, as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Kapil remarked that such a change has come after a long time.

“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 was quoted as saying at an event in New Delhi by News18.

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The formal announcement was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s but was postponed in light of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. As per reports, the winning skipper of the upcoming series will be presented with a medal named after the Pataudi family, which has a rich cricketing legacy in both India and England.

The renaming of the trophy drew criticism from former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar, who described it as disturbing. The trophy was originally named in honour of former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. It was instituted 18 years ago, and holds significant historical value which reflects the deep ties the Pataudi family has with the India-England cricketing landscape.

Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur both captained India and played county cricket in England. While the series name has changed, the winning captain will continue to be awarded a special medal holding the Pataudi name.

“When this happened, Sachin reached out to the ECB and conveyed that the Pataudi name should remain a part of the India-England rivalry. Mr Jay Shah was involved in the discussions," a BCCI source said.