The Pataudi Trophy was instituted in 2007 for Test series in England between England and India.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering abolishing the Pataudi Trophy, which represents supremacy in the bilateral Test series between England and India held in England.
The ECB is reportedly aiming to 'retire' the trophy, which might take effect as early as the forthcoming series in June- July, when the Indian team travels to England.
The specific reason for the decision to 'retire' the trophy is unknown, although it would not be surprising if another trophy with the names of recently retired players from both countries emerged.
When Cricbuzz contacted a spokeswoman for the England board, he neither denied nor confirmed the development, instead declining to comment.
"This is not something we'll be able to offer you a comment on," he told Cricbuzz on Monday, March 31, 2025.
The family of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the former India captain, whose father Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, also played for both India and England, were notified by the ECB, Cricbuzz reported.
"That is the understanding from the ECB. Apparently, trophies are retired after some time," a source told Cricbuzz.
The concept of retiring a trophy is uncommon, but it has occurred in sports; for example, the Wisden Trophy, played between England and the West Indies, was retired, and the new reward was dubbed the Richards-Botham Trophy.
The Ashes, which England and Australia compete for in the longest format, have existed since 1982-83, when the first bilateral Test series was played in England.
Other series include the Frank Worrell Trophy (between West Indies and Australia since 1960/61), the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (between India and Australia since 1996), the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy (between New Zealand and England since 2024-25), and the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy (between Australia and Sri Lanka since 2007/08).
The England-India series in England was named after Pataudi in 2007, and the two teams have competed for it every time India tours England. In India, the Anthony de Mello Trophy is named after a previous president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which was established in 1951.