The Indian cricket players can't seem to put it down it but the World Cup trophy they have with them is actually just a replica as the original is still lying with the customs.
"The original is lying with the Customs," said a BCCI sources without elaborating. When contacted Customs
sources, however, said the Cup was with them for non-payment of duty of 35 per cent of the original value.
"We will release it after payment of 35 per cent customs duty after its valuation," they said. The Cup, meanwhile, has been in the forefront of the celebrations by the entire Indian nation with players even posing with it along with President Pratibha Patil at the Raj Bhavan yesterday.
The captain of the winning team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been photographed and caught on television cameras carrying the replica to the iconic Gateway of India opposite the team hotel yesterday.
Man of the Tournament, Yuvraj Singh, has been kissing the replica repeatedly in delight.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday rubbished media reports that the ICC had presented India with a duplicate World Cup trophy at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
In a statement, the ICC confirmed that the trophy was original and the one that was always intended to be presented to the winner of the event.
It said: "There is no question that this was a replica. The trophy presented to India indeed carries the specific event logo of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and has always been the cup that the 14 teams were playing for."
"The trophy seized by Mumbai customs is the promotional, perpetual trophy which remains in the keeping of ICC at its headquarters in Dubai. It carries the generic ICC corporate logo rather than the logo specific to the 2011 event. That trophy will be reclaimed today and will travel back to Dubai with ICC staff as was always intended," a media release said.
(with inputs from ANI)