New Delhi: Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar Sunday voiced his disappointment after being overlooked for the presentation of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a prestigious award named in honour of him and Australian legend Allan Border, despite being present at the venue.

Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a 10-year gap, clinching the title with a six-wicket victory over India in the final Test of the series. While Allan Border had the honour of presenting the trophy to the Australian team, Gavaskar, who was at the venue, was unexpectedly excluded from the moment.

"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 would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border," he added.

Had India emerged victorious, Gavaskar would have been invited to present the trophy to the winning side.

Cricket Australia (CA) later clarified that Gavaskar was informed he would have presented the award to India’s captain, Jasprit Bumrah, had the visitors won the Sydney Test and retained the trophy.

A CA spokesperson acknowledged the situation, saying, "We recognise that it would have been more fitting if both Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar had been invited to present the trophy on stage."

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, contested by India and Australia since the 1996-1997 series, has grown into one of the most highly anticipated and fiercely contested rivalries in Test cricket.

The five-match series, which Australia ultimately won, attracted record crowds across multiple venues and set a new attendance record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, surpassing one that had stood for 87 years.