Courtesy: Google
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are reportedly set to retire the coveted MAK Pataudi Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of bilateral Test series played between England and India in the United Kingdom (UK). The decision of the ECB could be confirmed before the upcoming five-match Test series between England and India, which is set to begin on June 20 this year with the first Test happening at Headingley in Leeds.
Notably, the MAK Pataudi Trophy, which is set to be retired by the ECB as per the recent report from Cricbuzz, was first put on the line during the three-match Test series between England and India in 2007. On that occasion, the Indian cricket team managed to win the series 1-0 after defeating England in one of the Test matches at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, to clinch the MAK Pataudi Trophy for the first and only time.
England have had the better of India in Test series with MAK Pataudi Trophy on the line
In 2011, England humiliated India with 4-0 scoreline in the four-match Test series, to regain the MAK Pataudi Trophy, and they didn’t allow the visitors to get their hands on it since then. In the 2014 series, which had five Test matches, England won 3-1 before clinching it in 2018 with a 4-1 (5) margin, but in 2021-22, India managed to draw the Test series 2-2 (5), although it wasn’t enough for them to regain the trophy.
The build-up to the upcoming five-match Test series between England and India is yet to get into high gear with most of the big players of the Men in Blue currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. But, at the same time, there are some reports floating around wherein the Indian A team are set to play a few four-day matches against England Lions before the Test series kicks-off in June.
