New Delhi: A ‘baggy green cap’ of Australian cricket czar Donald Bradman, which he had worn while playing against India, was sold for 390,000 Australian dollars at auction in Sydney on Tuesday.
He wore the cap during Australia’s 1947-48 home Test series against India in which he struck his 100th first-class hundred. It was Bradman’s last home series before retirement.
While putting it up for bidding, Bonham’s auction house has listed the item as “sun faded and worn”, with “some insect damage” and “some loss to (the) edge of (the) peak”, reports the BBC.
The 80-year-old cap fetched 390,000 Aus dollars (Rs 2.14 crore) with the total price swelling to 479,700 Aus dollars (Rs 2.63 crore) on addition of auction fees and premiums.
‘Greatest batter of all time’
The bidding session to collect a rare piece of cricketing history lasted 10 minutes, where the prcie quickly rose to 390,000 Aus dollars from the asking price of 160,000 Aus dollars.
Bonhams said that the cap was the only one worn by Bradman during the India series where he amassed 715 runs in six innings at an average of 178.75, including three hundreds and a double ton as Australia won 4-0.
It was India’s first international cricket tour as an independent country and Bradman handed over the cap to the touring team’s manager Pankaj Gupta, who then gave to wicket-keeper PK Sen.
A baggy green that belonged to Don Bradman has been auctioned off for $390,000. @7Cricket #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/4N3cOiSgga
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 3, 2024
The cap was loaned to the Bradman Museum in his hometown of Bowral near Adelaide since 2010.
In 2020, another ‘baggy green cap’ worn by Bradman during his debut Test series in 1928 was sold for 290 Aus dollars.
Bradman, who passed away in 2001 aged 92, is often regarded as cricket’s greatest ever batter who averaged 99.94 in 52 Tests in a nearly two-decade career.
Cricket almanac Wisden has described him as the greatest to “have ever graced the gentleman’s game”.
Donald Bradman wore the cap during Australia’s 1947-48 home Test series against India in which he struck his 100th first-class hundred. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
