"Were they simply not invited?" Sunil Gavaskar destroys ECB over not calling Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson to the trophy handing ceremony of the ENG vs IND series

Sunil Gavaskar also suggested that Pataudi Medal should’ve been given to Player of the Series.

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for not inviting Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson during the trophy handing ceremony of the ENG vs IND series. He said that both were in England and should have been invited. 

The first edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 lived up to the expectations as both England and India played a magnificent brand of cricket. The series between the two teams ended in a draw as both teams bagged important points in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. 

Ahead of the series, the name of the Pataudi Trophy was changed and renamed after two greats of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson. Although it invited a lot of criticism, the new name stayed, and the Pataudi Medal was introduced to keep the legacy of the family alive. 

One would have expected both to be present to hand the trophy to the two captains – Sunil Gavaskar

Both Sachin and Anderson inaugurated the trophy ahead of the series but weren’t there when the series ended. This didn’t go well with Sunil Gavaskar, who pointed out the same. Writing in his column for Sportstar, he said: 

“This was the first-ever series named after Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson, two of cricket’s greatest legends. One would have expected both to be present to hand the trophy to the two captains, especially since the series ended in a draw. To the best of one’s knowledge, both were in England at the time. So, were they simply not invited?” 

He also highlighted how during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, only Allan Border was invited to hand the trophy. He elaborated: 

“Or was this similar to what happened in Australia earlier this year, when only Allan Border was asked to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Australia had won the series? Since this England series was drawn, perhaps neither was asked to attend the presentation.” 

Nobody from the Pataudi family was there either, for the Pataudi Medal – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar also noted that nobody from the Pataudi family was there. He also suggested that Pataudi Medal should’ve been given to Player of the Series and not shared between the captains. He added: 

“Nobody from the Pataudi family was there either, for the Pataudi Medal, which was to be presented to the winning team’s captain. The drawn series showed how foolish this idea was of trying to make amends to the Pataudis by retiring the trophy named after them. Every time the series is drawn, the medal can’t be presented, can it? Wouldn’t it be better, therefore, to award the medal to the Man of the Series rather than the winning team’s captain? 

“And what if the captain himself had an ordinary series and little impact on the result? If there had been a result and the Pataudi Medal had to be given to the Man of the Series, it would have been a tough choice, for both skippers were simply outstanding.” 

The test series between England and India started in Leeds, where the hosts won the five wickets. Then in Edgbaston, the visitors claimed the victory by a massive margin of 336 runs. The third game at the Lord’s belonged to the Ben Stokes-led side. 

India then came up with the stupendous effort in the Manchester as despite being down and dusted, they managed to draw the match. In the last match at, The Oval, the Shubman Gill-led side bagged a win by six runs.

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