Sunil Gavaskar snubbed as Allan presents Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia
Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border
Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border
(Web Desk): Cricket Australia (CA) invited only Allan Border to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) to the victorious Australian team.

After the conclusion of the five-Test series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sunil Gavaskar was not invited to present the award to winning team.

Border, 69, a former Australian captain and cricket legend, handed the trophy to Pat Cummins, the winning captain. Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar was seen standing near the boundary line during the ceremony.

"I was not asked to make the presentation," Gavaskar (75) told Cricbuzz on Sunday, just hours after Australia won the match by six wickets to claim the series 3-1 and regain the BGT they had last won a decade ago.

CA acknowledged that it was not an ideal situation for the Indian cricket legend to be absent from the podium. "We acknowledge it would have been preferable if both AB and Sunil had been asked to go on stage," CA stated.

It appears that CA s plan was to invite either Gavaskar or Border to the presentation ceremony, with the guest being chosen based on the series winner. "The plan was that if India won, Sunil would present the trophy, and if Australia won, Allan Border would present it," a CA official explained.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a symbol of supremacy in the India-Australia cricket rivalry, was first introduced during the 1996-97 series in India. Since then, 17 series have been played between the two countries, both at home and away.

Overall, there have been 29 series between India and Australia, with Australia holding a 13-11 advantage, and five series ending in draws. The first-ever India-Australia series was played in Australia in 1947-48.