Kapil Dev reacts to Pataudi Trophy being renamed

Now renamed the ‘Anderson-Tendulkar’ Trophy, Kapil Dev felt “strange” about the name change.

A few days ago, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to rename the Pataudi Trophy as Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. This drew sharp reactions from veterans like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. Renaming the trophy for the India-England Test series in England has Kapil Dev as the latest former legendary cricketer reacting to the same.

Kapil Dev reacts to the Pataudi trophy being renamed.

Recently, the legendary former India captain admitted that he felt surprised by the decision to rename the Pataudi Trophy into the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, calling it “strange.” The decision was taken by the ECB, who rechristened the Pataudi Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Test series hosted by England against India, as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, in honour of the two legends of the game.

What did Kapil Dev say on the matter?

Speaking at the event organised by Three Sixty to commemorate his iconic unbeaten 175 during the 1983 World Cup match against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells, Kapil Dev reacted sharply to the decision. He said, “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.”

The ECB’s decision faced massive criticism, reportedly even from Sachin Tendulkar and ICC Chairman Jay Shah, attempting to convince the ECB to reverse the decision. However, the England Board retained the Pataudi Medal for Excellence, an individual honour introduced to preserve the legacy of the former India captain, which will be awarded to the winning captain of the series.