Don Bradman’s 78-year-old Baggy Green, which was gifted to a young Indian player, auctioned for $460,000

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Bradman had 715 runs to his name at the end of the series in six innings at an average of 178.55. (AP photo)

The legendary Don Bradman’s “Baggy Green” cap, which he wore in the first Test series that India played in the country’s independent history, was on Monday sold for $460,000 at a Gold Coast auction, fetching the highest price for a cap sported by the great Australian batsman. Bradman had gifted the cap to Ranga Sohoni, who had played one of the five Tests that India played on the tour.

“That’s over three generations under lock and key. If you were a family member you were only allowed to look at it when you were 16 years old for five minutes,” Lee Hames, the chief operating officer of Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers, is quoted as saying by Reuters.

The cap was sold to an anonymous bidder and will be kept on display at an Australian museum, local media reported. The cap, which has the names “D.G. Bradman” and “S.W. Sohoni” inscribed on the inside, is in good condition. Another cap worn by Bradman was sun-faded and insect-damaged when it fetched $311,000 at auction in 2024.

Widely regarded as the greatest batsman in history, Bradman played 52 tests with a batting average of 99.94, nearly 40 runs higher than any other player. Sohoni, on the other hand, didn’t have much of a Test career, playing just four matches and taking just two wickets and scoring 83 runs. However, he went on to have a succesfull first class career overall. Having made his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 17, Sohoni went on to captain Maharashtra and Bombay in a career that stretched nearly three decades.

Australia had won that series 4-0, with Bradman finishing as the highest run scorer. He led the Australians while India were led by Lala Amarnath. Bradman had 715 runs to his name at the end of the series in six innings at an average of 178.55. Vijay Hazare was the highest scorer from among the Indians and the second highest overall in the series, having made 429 runs in 10 innings at an average of 47.66.

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