Sir Donald Bradman's baggy green sets new auction record

A baggy green cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman during Australia's 1947-48 Test series against India has sold for $460,000 at a Gold Coast auction, setting a new benchmark for a cap worn by the Australian legend.

The buyer, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has indicated the historic cap will be placed on public display at an Australian museum.

The cap was gifted by Bradman to Indian cricketer Sriranga Wasudev Sohoni and remained in his family's care for more than 75 years. Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers chief operating officer Lee Hames said the family preserved the item meticulously across three generations.

"It was kept under lock and key," Mr Hames said. "Family members were only allowed to view it from the age of 16 - and even then, just for five minutes."

The cap, bearing the names "D.G. Bradman" and "S.W. Sohoni" stitched inside, is in notably good condition. Its sale eclipses a previous Bradman cap that fetched $311,000 in 2024 after showing sun fading and insect damage.

Including the buyer's premium of $75,900, the final price reaches $535,900, surpassing the former record holder - another Bradman baggy green from the same 1947-48 series, which sold for $479,700 last year.

Bradman, widely regarded as the greatest batsman in cricket history, played 52 Tests at an extraordinary average of 99.94, nearly 40 runs clear of any other player.

The 1947-48 series carried special significance: it marked India's first Test tour as an independent nation and was Bradman's final series on home soil. He capped it off in emphatic style, piling up 715 runs, including his 100th first-class century, as Australia swept the series 4-0.