“Just because I’m an Indian”- Sunil Gavaskar on not being invited to present Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25

In 1996, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was established to honour Australia’s Allan Border and the renowned Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar for their respective contributions. Since then, Australia and India have fought hard to win the trophy, with Australia winning the most recent iteration after defeating India in the fifth and final Test to win the series 3-1.

However, Sunil Gavaskar was not called to give the trophy to the Australian team at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 5;

instead, Border handed the trophy by himself, eschewing the customary ceremonial gesture. Even though he was in the stadium, the former India opener, who was also the first player in history to reach the 10000-run milestone in Test cricket, expressed his disappointment and acknowledged that he “would have been happy to present the trophy.”

“I would have loved to attend the presentation, no doubt. It is, after all, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and Australia and India are involved. I mean, I’m on the ground here. In my opinion, the fact that Australia prevailed in the presentation shouldn’t matter. The Australians prevailed because they played better cricket. It’s okay. They didn’t ask me to the prize ceremony just because I’m Indian. According to Code Sports, Gavaskar stated, “I would have been delighted to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

Australia won the second Test with a decisive victory in Adelaide after losing the first Test in Perth. They were clinical in Melbourne to win the Boxing Day Test, despite the fact that the third game in Brisbane finished in a draw because of the constant rain. The Indians needed to win the New Year’s Test in order to tie the series and keep the trophy. However, on Day 3, with six wickets left, Australia pursued 162, demonstrating their ongoing batting problems.