Jaipur artisans hope Asia Cup returns home

Thru HindustanTimes.com

At least one workshop in Jaipur has been dependent on the pulls and drives in distant Colombo. And after India reached the Asia Cup final, the artisans crafting the trophy bestowed it with all their loving care in the hope that the Cup will come home.

Unveiling the trophy on Thursday, Rajiv Pabuwal, one of the two brothers who created the cup, said, "When Jayasuriya was hammering India, our workers slowed down, but the moment Zaheer bowled the last ball, they were ecstatic."

Four of the five cricket trophies that the brothers have designed have landed abroad. “It hurts,” said Rajiv, “but still it’s a great feeling to see the world appreciate our work.” They have designed the Reliance World Cup (1987), MRF World Series Cup (1989), Hero Cup (1993), Wills World Cup (1996) and Independence Cup (1997). India only won the Hero Cup.