Test Cricket’s new Crown: The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy takes center stage

The new Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy for the England-India Test series honors James Anderson, who retired in July 2024 with a record 704 Test wickets, and Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his 200-Test career in 2013 as the highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs, reflecting a shift from the previous Pataudi and Anthony de Mello Trophies to celebrate individual legacies.

This naming follows a trend of personalized trophies, like the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy for England-New Zealand series introduced in November 2024, supported by the ECB and BCCI to boost the cultural significance of Test cricket, with data from ESPNcricinfo showing a 15% increase in global Test match viewership since 2022 due to such initiatives.

The decision surprises given Anderson’s recent transition to a mentoring role with England in 2025 and Tendulkar’s long retirement, challenging the norm of honoring active players, and highlights a strategic move to leverage their global fanbases to elevate the series' international appeal.