Legendary English pacer James Anderson has reacted to the new name of the England vs India Test series trophy, which is the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

India vs England Test series trophies have two different names depending on the hosting nation. Previously, the England vs India Test series in England was known as the Pataudi Trophy, in honour of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who was the only cricketer to play for both England and India in Test cricket. On the other hand, the India vs England Test series in India is known as the Anthony de Mello Trophy, in honour of one of the founders of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy replaces Pataudi Trophy

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to replace the Pataudi Trophy with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The new name is in honour of the two legends, former English cricketer James Anderson and former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer in Test, ODI, and international cricket, while Anderson is the leading Test and international wicket-taker as a pacer (third leading Test and international wicket-taker as a bowler).

It's a huge honour: James Anderson

The 42-year-old former English pacer James Anderson, who retired from international cricket last year but is still active in the game, feels a huge honour, which he still finds unbelievable. 

During a WP World event at Lord's, Anderson told ESPNcricinfo, "It's a huge honour. I still can't quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don't want to do him a disservice with his age. I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn't be more proud."

'Still can't quite believe it' 🏆

James Anderson on the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 🗣️#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/KpVDPhGjTW

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 9, 2025

The upcoming five-Test series between England and India is to mark the beginning of an era of cricketing competition with the launch of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. The series, which is to start on June 20 in Headingley, is to pay tribute to two contemporary greats—India's batting kingpin Sachin Tendulkar and England's greatest fast bowler James Anderson. This change is a break with the past since the series will no longer be contested for the Pataudi Trophy, which had been the emblem of India-England Tests in England since 2007.

The Pataudi Trophy was introduced to celebrate 75 years of Test cricket between the two countries and honored the legendary Pataudi family. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi both led India and have left a lasting mark on the game. The retirement of the Pataudi Trophy has evoked responses from all over the cricketing universe, especially from retired Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who has criticized the move as insensitive to the contributions of the Pataudis to cricket in both nations.

In spite of the controversy, the new Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy seeks to honor two icons who defined the contemporary age of Test cricket. Tendulkar, the record run-scorer in Tests with 15,921 runs, and Anderson, the leading fast bowler of all time with 704 wickets, played 14 Tests against each other. Anderson particularly bowled out Tendulkar nine times—the most by any bowler—which made their tussle a bookend saga of 21st-century cricket.

Tribute or Tradition: Trophy Renaming Debate

Sunil Gavaskar's criticism is part of a larger debate regarding cricket's changing attitude towards paying tribute to its icons. While the ECB and BCCI might consider the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy an apt tribute to two superstars of the game, there are people who consider the retirement of the Pataudi Trophy a decision that forgets greater historical context.

Also Read: 'I dont have a particular style..' - Shubman Gill comments on his desired style of captaincy ahead of England tour

Notably, this modification is following a similar pattern as England and New Zealand did by substituting their series name with the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy this year. As the supporters get ready to witness an intense series, the new trophy also lends an emotional and historic dimension to the matches to come.

There is a saying in English: “Age is just a number.” This means age does not really matter. Sometimes we see rare people around the world who prove age wrong by doing amazing things we do not expect. We find such stories in almost every sport, including cricket. In IPL 2025, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and 43-year-old MS Dhoni both showed this. But there is another legendary cricketer making waves at age 42. His name is James Anderson.

James Anderson may have retired from international cricket, but at the age of 42, he is still troubling batsmen with his bowling. After leaving international matches, he is now playing in domestic cricket and showing the same skills. In the T20 Blast tournament in England, Anderson gave a strong performance once again. He bowled with great control and took 3 wickets while giving only 17 runs.

Also Read -[WATCH]: RCB go mayhem with DK and Patidar's birthday celebration ahead of IPL 2025 Final

James Anderson is known for his red-ball bowling, but this time he impressed everyone in T20 cricket. He returned to this format after almost 10 years. Playing for Lancashire against Durham, he bowled 4 overs, gave just 17 runs, and took 3 important wickets. His bowling reminded fans of his old days. He dismissed Durham’s top three batsmen and did not allow them to score freely.

42-YEAR-OLD JAMES ANDERSON IN T20 BLAST: 4-0-17-3 🤯

- He is Playing a T20 match after 11 Years. pic.twitter.com/i60LWhbNls

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 2, 2025

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings won the toss and chose to bowl first. Anderson came to bowl the third over of the innings and dismissed Graham Clark and Alex Lees. Later, he came back in the 11th over and got Colin Ackerman out. In total, Anderson gave away just 17 runs in 4 overs and took 3 wickets with an economy rate of 4.25.

Durham made 150 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Chasing this target, Lancashire won the match on the last ball. Michael Jones played an important innings of 55 runs in 39 balls, and Chris Green scored 15 runs in just 8 balls. With their efforts, Lancashire won the match by 4 wickets.

Virat Kohli's decision to pull himself out of the Test format suddenly was like a bombshell that shook the entire cricket universe. Kohli's Test cricket career expanded for almost 14 years, was an example of why people call the Indian batter a legend of modern cricket.

Former England international and another cricket legend, James Anderson, acknowledged Virat for his illustrative career. In a conversation, Anderson did not hesitate to call the former Indian captain "the fiercest competitor out of those 4." The 'Fav 4' of modern cricket refers to Virat Kohli (India), Joe Root (England), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), and Steve Smith (Australia).

Cricket fans often debate who's the best among these 4 batters. On the other hand, Anderson, throughout his vast career, was up against multiple cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and many others. But he has a special space in his heart for Virat Kohli.

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While speaking in the telecast, the Englishman said about the flamboyant cricketer that Virat's ability to adapt to the conditions with his technique impressed Anderson the most. According to the former pacer, "He (Virat Kohli) was definitely the fiercest competitor out of those 4. He always stood up to the ground, obviously a fantastic player of the world."

Virat Kohli vs James Anderson in numbers

Virat Kohli has a decent record against James Anderson across the formats. In Test cricket, the iconic batter has faced James for 710 deliveries against an average of 43.6; Anderson dismissed Kohli a total of 7 times in the format. 

In ODIs, Anderson's success rate was higher against Virat, clearing him thrice by bowling 38 deliveries, and Kohli was able to make only 26 runs.

Watch the video here

James Anderson on Virat Kohli:

"The fiercest competitor out of those 4 is definitely Kohli". [TalkSport Cricket] pic.twitter.com/ADow0HFDJS

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 14, 2025

Virat Kohli is widely considered one of the best batters in the history of the game. There have been hardly any instances where the legendary India batter has looked out of sorts or looked in trouble facing any bowler. But recently, Virat expressed who he thought the toughest bowlers in each format of cricket were. It is clear from his vast experience at the highest level that Kohli is expressing players who have historically challenged him. Kohli's choices show not only his technical understanding but also respect for the top-class bowlers who have tested him over the years.

Kohli identified England's James Anderson as the toughest bowler he has faced when asked about Test cricket. The 36-year-old batter mentioned that Anderson's strength lies in how he can swing the ball both ways and also reverse swing the ball, particularly in English conditions. Kohli also touched on how Anderson feels particularly difficult to face due to his experience and ability to control all areas of the game, making him a difficult opponent for any batter, especially when the ball is swinging off the pitch or moving in the air.

In addition to it, when the ace India player was asked question about T20 cricket, he identified Sunil Narine as the toughest bowler he has faced so far. The former RCB spinner praised Narine for being the toughest and also said that Narine in T20 cricket was difficult to face due to his variations. Kohli also noted that Narine’s control over his line, length, and pace changes forces batters to guess and adapt constantly, making him a formidable presence in T20 matches around the world.

Watch the video here;

Virat Kohli picks the toughest bowlers to face:

Test cricket - Jimmy Anderson.
ODIs - Malinga (Adil Rashid toughest spinner).
T20s - Sunil Narine.pic.twitter.com/xOC1h17xLD

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 3, 2025

Lasith Malinga was toughest to face in ODIs

In ODI cricket, Virat Kohli identifies Lasith Malinga as one of the toughest pacers he has faced. He points to Malinga’s unorthodox action and his ability to generate late swing at high speeds as major challenges for any batter. Kohli acknowledges how Malinga's unpredictable deliveries, especially the toe-crushing yorkers, made him a unique threat during his prime. His pace, combined with movement, often left even top batters with little time to react, making him a standout bowler in ODI cricket.

When it comes to spin in ODIs, Kohli considers Adil Rashid to be one of the most challenging. He praises Rashid for cleverly disguising his variations while maintaining tight lines and lengths, which makes it difficult to read him. According to Kohli, Rashid’s consistency and subtle changes in pace limit scoring opportunities and keep batters under constant pressure. Kohli's selections reflect the high regard he has for bowlers who combine skill, strategy, and unpredictability—traits that elevate them in competitive international cricket across formats.

England fast bowler Jofra Archer created new history in the ODI format for his team during the crucial Afghanistan vs England Group B match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where the right-arm fast bowler broke legendary English pacer James Anderson's record.

It is the must-win match for both England and Afghanistan to only stay in semi-final contention for this tournament. While Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is hosting the match, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi decided to bat first after winning the toss. Afghanistan lost three wickets in the powerplay and managed to score only 39 runs. Archer dominated in that powerplay as he picked up all three wickets. 

Jofra Archer: Fastest England bowler to complete 50 ODI wickets

In the fifth over of the innings, Afghanistan lost their first wicket as the opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was bowled by Archer for only six runs. It was Archer's 50th ODI wicket, which the right-arm fast bowler completed in 30 ODIs. It set a new record for the England team as Archer recorded the fastest English bowler to complete 50 ODI wickets. 

Legendary England right-arm pacer James Anderson was the previous record holder for the fastest England bowler to record 50 ODI wickets, as he completed it in 31 ODI matches. 

Jofra Archer recorded 3 for 64 

Coming back to the Afghanistan vs England match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Archer later dismissed Sediqullah Atal (4) and Rahmat Shah (4) cheaply in the powerplay. However, the Afghan batters later strongly handled him, as Archer ended the game with the bowling figures of 10-0-64-3. He has recorded 52 wickets in 30 ODIs.

While the Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran brought up the dominant batting performance with 177 runs from 146 balls, the new highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history, he got strong support from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), Azmatullah Omarzai (41), and Mohammad Nabi (40), as Afghanistan scored 325/7 in 50 overs.

James Anderson Set to Resume Playing Career with Lancashire at 43

James Anderson is conversing with Lancashire about getting back into playing this summer when he's going to be 43. It's been almost a year since his last game, but he's ready to get back and play in every type of match with Lancashire. Even though he's not playing in international Test cricket anymore, Anderson truly desires to continue and help out his favorite county cricket team.Mister Anderson's known as one of the top fast bowlers in cricket ever, and he's not done yet.

A Year After His Farewell Test at Lord’s

Anderson still thinks he has many things to offer, and his passion for cricket is making him consider returning to play with Lancashire, the team he started with when he was just a teenager. Since that special farewell match at Lord's against the West Indies in July 2024, he hasn't played at all. His incredible trip got him 704 test wickets, but then the England team leaders decided it was time to look ahead without him.

🚨 43 YEAR OLD JIMMY ANDERSON TO PLAY COUNTY. 🚨

- Anderson will be representing Lancashire in the County Championship. (Telegraph). pic.twitter.com/87tm0H70Ze

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 10, 2025

Fitness and Readiness

Anderson has been keeping himself fit by regularly bowling in the nets and doing conditioning work with England's strength and fitness coaches, during their tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, before Christmas. He believes he can continue performing well and have a strong season with Lancashire when it begins in April. This might be his goodbye season with his county team—but if things go well, he might think about playing for more time.

Balancing Playing and Coaching Duties

Anderson has decided to keep playing into his 40s because he really loves cricket, similar to how Sir Alastair Cook kept playing for Essex for five years after he retired, in 2018, from international Test cricket. Besides just playing, Anderson will also keep his job as a bowling coach for the England Test team. The result? He must handle playing for Lancashire, his coaching responsibilities with England, and any work he does with the media.

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Lancashire’s Hopes for the Season

Lancashire is very eager to return after getting bumped down from Division One of the County Championship last year, and having Anderson around is going to be a major boost for them to reach that level again. They want the experienced bowler, Anderson, to play in at least five rounds of the County Championship before he has to join up with the England team again for the Test summer. The team's management is eager to have him return.

A Return to Lord’s and Old Trafford

Anderson might play his last season in domestic cricket, starting with Lancashire's first game at their home ground, Old Trafford, against Northants on April 11. The season begins at Lord's on April 4, where Anderson can go back to the place where he started playing for England.

The Legacy Continues

Anderson coming back to play county cricket is very important news, not simply for him but also for the team. Young players get a great opportunity to bat against Anderson, who's a legend when it comes to fast bowling, especially with the Dukes ball in red-ball cricket. His being there is a big positive for Lancashire--but it's also wonderful for young hitters in the County Championship because they get to go against facing a very good bowler.

Despite being unsold at the IPL auction in January, Anderson’s passion for the game remains undiminished. The prospect of playing white-ball cricket again is not ruled out, and his return to Lancashire could mark the beginning of a final, memorable chapter in a career that has already spanned over two decades.

James Anderson Career Stats

Bowling

Legendary English right-arm pacer James Anderson has registered his name for the IPL 2025 mega auction. Anderson opened up about his excitement for the most successful T20 league in the world.

The 42-year-old right-arm pacer James Anderson retired from international cricket after the last July Lord’s Test against West Indies. Anderson finished his Test career as the most Test wicket-taker by a pacer with 704 Test wickets. 

Apart from picking up 704 Test wickets, Anderson also took 269 ODI wickets and 18 T20I wickets, which made him the leading wicket-taker as a pacer in international cricket history with 991 international wickets. 

Legendary pacer Anderson picked up 1126 first-class wickets, 358 List A wickets, and 48 T20 wickets. The last time Anderson played a T20 match was in August 2014. 

SEE ALSO: Ricky Ponting reveals his expectation from Virat Kohli in Australia Test series

I'd love to have an opportunity to play somewhere: James Anderson

Anderson feels that he is fit to continue his cricket career. The right-arm fast-medium pacer wants to take challenges on the field. 

According to Sky Sports, Anderson said, “That is the whole point of going to the auction, I think. I want to play cricket again. Whether I get picked or not is a different matter. There is definitely a feeling inside of me that I have got more to offer, in some shape or form. So, however long down the line that might be, in whatever capacity that might be I am not sure yet. 

"But I'm really keen to play. I feel really fit, I've been bowling still, ticking over, so I feel like I'm in a good place and I'd love to have an opportunity to play somewhere.”

Keep my fingers crossed: Anderson on IPL auction

Anderson has registered his name for the upcoming IPL mega-auction at a base price of INR 1.25 crore. When he was asked whether any IPL team contacted him, he had a negative answer. However, he is keeping hope to experience the most popular T20 league.

Anderson said, "Nothing yet. We'll just have to wait and see; keep my fingers crossed and see what happens.” 

A total of 1574 players, including 409 foreign players, have registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction. The number will be shrunk before the beginning of the mega auction, as 204 slots are available.

Jeddah in Saudi Arabia will host the IPL 2025 mega auction on November 24 and 25. 

So, it will be a huge battle for the registered players, as Anderson will have to face challenges to earn a chance in the IPL.  

The mega auction dates for the IPL 2025 were announced on Tuesday. The registered players’ names were also reported on the same night. A popular international all-rounder will miss the IPL 2025.

While October 31 was the retention deadline for all teams, the IPL 2025 mega auction will be organised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25. There are 204 slots available for the mega auction. 

A total of 1574 players, including 1165 Indians and 409 overseas players, have registered for the upcoming mega auction. However, before the mega auction, the long list will be shrunk after receiving the inputs from the franchises. 

Meanwhile, ESPNcricinfo has also brought an important update about the names of the top registered players for the mega auction.   

SEE ALSO: IPL 2025: Top 5 Worst Retentions during the 2025 IPL Mega Auction

Ben Stokes likely to miss IPL 2025

According to ESPNcricinfo reports, the English all-rounder Ben Stokes, who last played IPL in 2023, isn’t on the list of the registered players’ names for the upcoming mega auction. 

Stokes was the most valuable player in the IPL 2017, which was his first IPL season. However, he has hardly played IPL since 2021. While he played only one match for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2021 before suffering a finger injury, he missed out on the IPL 2022 season because he wanted to focus on Test cricket. 

After Chennai Super Kings bought Stokes for INR 16.25 crore for the IPL 2023, he played only two matches that season as the knee injury and later international duty forced him to remain unavailable for the IPL team. 

Like the auction for the IPL 2024, Stokes is reportedly not present for the IPL 2025 mega auction. It also means that the all-rounder will miss the subsequent mini-auctions.

Will James Anderson make his IPL debut?

While the upcoming mega auction will see many great international players, former England pacer James Anderson is also a surprising name on the list. While Anderson last played a T20 match in 2014, he has never experienced the IPL. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Anderson has a base price of INR 1.25 crore.

Indian players in the highest base price

Talking about the highest base price for the upcoming mega auction, many Indian cricketers are in the INR 2 crore base price list. Injured Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played a cricket match since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in November 2023, including missing out on the IPL 2024, is also standing in the highest base price list.  

The other Indian players’ names in the INR 2 crore base price list for the upcoming mega auctions are Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj,  Umesh Yadav, etc.

England captain Ben Stokes has backed senior pace bowler Chris Woakes to lead England’s bowling attack without the veteran speedster James Anderson. With Anderson’ retiring’s retirement from international cricket after England’s convincing victory over the West Indies in the first Test at Lord’s, Woakes is all set to become the new leader for England’s bowling unit. However, despite the absence of veteran pacers, Stokes is optimistic about Woakes’ ability to fill the void as well.

“I see it (James Anderson’s retirement) as an opportunity for someone like Chris Woakes to take up the leadership role in the bowling unit,” Stokes stated on Wednesday. “Woaksy is a very experienced bowler, a very experienced player. We have been so used to Jimmy and Broady doing that. But we don’t have them now. I see that as an opportunity for Woaksy. (Woakes has been) A phenomenal performer, especially in England and great for him now to lead the attack.”

SEE ALSO: Rohit Sharma comments on his retirement plans after quitting T20Is

James Anderson remains with the squad as part of the support staff

Although James Anderson has retired from the game, he remains with the squad as part of the support staff as well. Stokes added that the positive impact Anderson’s presence has had on the team, especially in providing valuable guidance to the bowlers as well.

“The last few days have been really good,” Stokes noted. “You can see that the lads are really desperate to pick his brains. Obviously before that it was a bit different. Jimmy has always been preparing for his games, so it’s about letting him do his stuff and pick his brains as much as you can, that felt appropriate. But now obviously he’s just standing there and you can see lads drawn towards him wanting to pick his brains about what he thinks, how he holds certain deliveries.”

“I think it has been a very, very smooth transition. But there is no doubt that there have been emotions with Jimmy. But with him still being around the team, I think he still knows that he has so much more to offer to the game with the ball. Couldn’t think of a better bloke to be able to pass on the knowledge of fast bowling to the guys we have with us at the moment,” Ben Stokes concluded.