New Delhi, June 14, 2025: The scheduled unveiling of the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the rebranded title for the India-England Test series, has been postponed following the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad on June 12.
According to Indian media reports, the launch ceremony was originally planned for Saturday, June 14, on the sidelines of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. However, both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) mutually agreed to defer the event out of respect for those who lost their lives in the aviation tragedy.
“Given the tragic events in India, the announcement may wait a while out of respect,” a senior ECB official told Cricbuzz on Saturday. “The BCCI are still deciding on the right time for the announcement. The date had been kept flexible due to the tragedy.”
On Thursday, an Air India aircraft carrying 275 passengers crashed near Ahmedabad Airport, marking one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history. Initial reports confirm almost all passengers perished, with only one survivor pulled from the wreckage.
Eyewitness and technical accounts state that the plane lost altitude shortly after climbing to 650 meters, prompting the pilot to issue a Mayday distress signal. However, air traffic control received no response to their follow-up, and the aircraft crashed within a minute of the call.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was introduced to honour England’s James Anderson and India’s Sachin Tendulkar, two of the greatest players in Test cricket history. It was intended to replace the Pataudi Trophy, which had been awarded to the winner of the India-England Test series held in India since 2007.
However, the ECB — after initial plans to retire the Pataudi name — reversed its decision following a request from the BCCI and particularly from ICC Chair Jay Shah, to preserve the legacy of the Pataudi family in bilateral Test cricket. The revised arrangement will reportedly retain Pataudi’s name within the series in some capacity.
A new date for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy launch is expected to be announced after consultations between the BCCI and ECB, once an appropriate time is determined.
