A rare piece of cricketing history has fetched an extraordinary sum at auction, as Sir Donald Bradman’s iconic baggy green cap was sold for INR 2.63 crore on Tuesday. The cap, which is nearly 80 years old, was worn by the Australian legend during the 1947-48 Test series against India, his final home series before retiring from Test cricket.

The auction, conducted by renowned auction house Bonhams, witnessed a heated bidding war before the cap was sold for ₹2.14 crore, with the buyer’s premium pushing the total price higher.

The cap, described as “sun faded and worn,” bears the marks of age, including “some insect damage” and “loss to the edge of the peak,” according to Bonhams. Despite its weathered appearance, the cap remains a priceless symbol of Bradman’s unparalleled cricketing legacy.

Bradman, often hailed as the greatest batter in cricket history, amassed an incredible 715 runs in the 1947-48 series, which included three centuries and a double century. His dominance with the bat helped Australia secure a 4-0 victory over India, with Bradman finishing the series with an astonishing average of 178.75.

This particular baggy green cap was given to Pankaj Gupta, the manager of the Indian team during their historic tour of Australia. This series marked India’s first international cricket tour as an independent nation.

Bradman's legacy

Gupta later passed the cap on to the Indian team's wicketkeeper, PK Sen. The cap remained with the Indian team for decades before it was loaned to the Bradman Museum in Bowral, the cricketer’s hometown, in 2010.

Bradman's career ended in 1948 with a bittersweet farewell at The Oval, where he was dismissed for a duck in his final innings, missing the chance to finish with a career average of 100. Despite this, his legacy is firmly entrenched in cricketing history, with records that still stand to this day, including the highest Test average (99.94), most double centuries in Test cricket (12) and the joint-highest number of triple centuries (2).

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