Sunil Gavaskar left ‘perplexed’ by bizarre snub as Australia secure huge series victory against India to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy

Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar was left baffled by a bizarre decision to omit him from Australia’s trophy presentation after Pat Cummins’ side bested India 3-1 in this summer’s Test series.

Bizarrely, Gavaskar, whose name is even on the trophy, was not involved in the presentation on Sunday afternoon at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

As Australia clinched a six-wicket victory, Gavaskar was instead stood 150m away from the trophy presentation.

Allan Border would step onto the stage to present Cummins with the huge golden trophy but Gavaskar was not present.

‘I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation,’ the India cricket great, who scored 10122 Test runs, said to The Daily Telegraph.

Gavaskar later delivered an interesting claim that if India didn’t win or draw the series he would not be needed.

Allan Border (right) presented the Border-Gavaskar trophy to Pat Cummins (left) on Sunday afternoon after Australia claimed a 3-1 series victory 

Gavaskar (right) said he ‘would have loved to have presented the trophy’ alongside Border (left) 

‘I was told just before the Test started that was going to be the situation,’ he said according to ABC Sport.

‘If India didn’t win or draw the series I wouldn’t be required… I’m not feeling sad, but I’m just feeling a little a little perplexed. It’s the Border-Gavaskar trophy, both of us should have been there’.

Gavaskar later added to The Daily Telegraph that ‘to me, it should not matter Australia won when it comes to the presentation.’

He admitted that Cummins’ side had played the ‘better cricket’ throughout the series and added: ‘I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border’.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson claimed that the plan was to have Border present the trophy if Australia had won the title and Gavaskar would do the same honour if India had retained the title.

Even so, Cricket Australia appeared to backtrack on the decision not to have Gavaskar handing out the award alongside Border.

‘We acknowledge it would have been preferable if both AB and Sunil had been asked to go on stage,’ a spokesperson for Cricket Australia said.

Following on from their heroics with the ball in hand in Melbourne, Australia’s bowlers once again impressed in Sydney, with India being bowled out for 157 in their second innings.

Gavaskar had presented the trophy to Rohit Sharma after India retained the title in 2023 

Fans criticised the decision to omit Gavaskar from the trophy ceremony after the Test match

Scott Boland took six wickets, bringing his score up to 10 for the match, before Australia returned to the crease to cruise their way to victory.

The result sees Australia qualify for the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s later this year, with Cummins’ side set to take on South Africa.

Cricket fans on social media, though, were furios over the Channel 7 commentator’s snub. 

‘This is outrageous…’ one wrote on X. ‘Needs to be investigated and unless the reasons are well understood (or has been the pattern.

‘Ie: the winner gets the trophy from one of the B or G duo each time)this is an affront of the highest order. Is this CA’s decision in conjunction with the BCCI or someone else’s? An explanation is necessary isn’t it?’

One added: ‘I was critical of Sunny’s comments earlier but, it is fairly disgraceful to snub the men who the trophy is named after from the presentation. Pretty poor.’

While another X users said it was ‘sad to see’ the cricket great not invited to also present the trophy.