“After four years who knows whether both will be present at the stadium” - BCCI official on Sunil Gavaskar controversy in BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment after not being called to present the trophy after the conclusion of the fifth Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Sydney.

Rajeev Shukla, Vice President of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), also expressed his views on the controversy. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Shukla wrote that the presentation ceremony happened when Sunil Gavaskar was present in the stadium.

He also mentioned that the trophy carries the names of both Allan Border and Gavaskar. However, the Indian legend was not called upon when the trophy was handed over to Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

Commentator Neil Mitchell wrote on X that Cricket Australia not having Gavaskar at the presentation was an appalling and embarrassing error. Agreeing to his comments, Rajeev Shukla wrote:

"I fully agree with Neil. It happened when Gavaskar was present in the stadium.Trophy is in their names and one of them was not invited to podium. After four years who knows whether both will be present at the stadium?Both together would have been a rare visual @CricketAus."

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'Would have loved to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border' - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar was quite disappointed that he was not given the opportunity to present the trophy alongside Allan Border. Cricket Australia had planned that Border would present the trophy if Australia won and Gavaskar would present it if India retained the BGT.

However, the former Indian cricketer stated that he would have loved to present the trophy with Border, calling him a 'good friend'.

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Code Sports.