ENG vs IND series-winning captain to get Pataudi medal on Sachin Tendulkar’s request-OxBig News Network

The captain of the winning team in the upcoming India-England Test series will receive the Pataudi Medal for Excellence, an individual honour introduced to preserve the Pataudi legacy. This comes after the traditional Pataudi Trophy was renamed as the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy ahead of the five-match series.

The decision to rename the trophy was taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to honour two of Test cricket’s greatest figures—Sachin Tendulkar, the leading run-scorer in the format, and James Anderson, the highest wicket-taking pacer. However, the move raised concerns over the omission of the Pataudi name, which has long been linked to the history of this rivalry. Tendulkar personally reached out to the ECB, urging that the Pataudi legacy remain part of the contest. ICC chairman Jay Shah supported the initiative and played a key role in finalising the inclusion of the medal by consulting both cricket boards and the Pataudi family.

“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,” a BCCI source told PTI.

The Tendulkar-Anderson trophy was set to be unveiled on June 14, but it ended up being rescheduled due to the recent Ahmedabad plane crash.

The Pataudi family has a rich cricketing legacy that links both nations. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi uniquely represented both England and India, while his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi captained India in 40 Tests and led the team to their first-ever overseas series win in New Zealand in 1967. The Pataudi Trophy, introduced in 2007, was originally named in his honour to mark 75 years since the first India-England Test series.

India and England are set to face off in a five-match Test series starting June 20 in Leeds. The formal unveiling of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy is expected to take place on June 19. The Pataudi Medal will be awarded at the conclusion of the series, adding a new layer of individual prestige to this historic rivalry.