Bradman's cap auctioned (Photo: x)

Don Bradman Cap: The baggy green cap of great Australian batsman Don Bradman has been auctioned. This was the baggy green cap that was auctioned, which Bradman wore in the home Test series played against India in 1947-48. During the same series, he gifted it to Indian cricketer Sriranga Vasudev Sohoni. Sohoni's family had kept the cap gifted by Bradman for the last 75 years. That cap was never displayed publicly. Bradman's baggy green cap, gifted to the Indian player, was auctioned in the Gold Coast.

Bradman's cap auctioned at record price

In the auction, Bradman's baggy green cap got a bid of 4.60 lakh Australian dollars i.e. about Rs 3 crore. This is the highest bid ever received for any cap worn by Bradman. The final amount paid for the cap along with a buyer's premium of 16.5% was AUD 535,900, which is ₹ 3.40 crore in Indian Rupees.

Specialty of the auctioned hat

Don Bradman's baggy green cap, which was auctioned at a record price, has the coat of arms of Australian cricket and 1947-48 embroidered below it. It was sold by Lloyds Auctions. Describing the cap as the Holy Grail of cricket, Lee Hames, chief operating officer of Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers, said that Sohoni's last wish was that the cap remain with Australia.

Buyers from these countries showed interest in buying hats

According to the Guardian report, Hames said that this hat was kept for 75 years. Sohoni's family members were also allowed to see him only for five minutes after he turned 16. A spokesperson for Lloyd's Auctions said that the hat will now remain in Australia and will be displayed in a major museum. The names of Don Bradman and Sriranga Vasudev Sohoni are written inside the cap. According to the report, the auction bid started at one dollar and it was sold for $4.60 lakh amid strong interest from buyers from Australia, India and Britain.

Condition of test series played in 1947-48

The India-Australia Test series of 1947–48 was Bradman's last home Test series. After that he retired from cricket in 1948 with an average of 99.94. This was the first foreign tour of the Indian team for a Test series after getting independence from the British. On that tour of Australia, Team India had gone to play a 5 test match series under the captaincy of Lala Amarnath. One match of the series was a draw and Australia won that test series 4-0.