Cricket may be a sport built on tradition and history, but it is also a game of priceless moments.

For collectors, that history is worth more than just sentiment – the chance to display key memorabilia and rare pieces of cricketing heritage means that some items have sold for staggering sums at auction.

From bats used in iconic innings to jerseys worn in World Cups, cricket memorabilia continue to attract passionate bids from fans and investors alike.

Here’s a quick look at some of the most expensive cricket items ever sold.

1. Donald Bradman’s baggy green

The late Sir Donald Bradman remains, quite possibly, cricket’s greatest icon. So, when his 1948 ‘Invincibles’ tour baggy green cap came up for sale, it fetched an incredible £275,000.

The cap was purchased by an Australian businessman. Underlining Bradman’s enduring legacy and the near-mythical status of his playing career and statistics, there are several Bradman caps in circulation which have all fetched incredible fees.

His first cap, from his 1928 debut season, also fetched excellent money when it was sold for A$450,000 in 2020 and the one he wore on his last tour, to England in 1948, went for $425,000 in 2003 – and was later resold for a similar fee in 2008.

2. Shane Warne’s baggy green

Following the devastating bushfires in Australia in 2020, Shane Warne auctioned his cherished baggy green cap to raise money for relief efforts.

The cap fetched over £500,000, making it the single most expensive piece of cricket memorabilia ever sold. It was later donated to the Bradman Museum in Bowral, ensuring it remains accessible to the public.

One of the key reasons why Warne’s cap went for so much more than Bradman’s was the fact that in Bradman’s era, players were issued with a new cap for each series.

In Warne’s time, each player got just one cap – therefore Warne’s Baggy Green was the cap he wore for the duration of his time with Australia while Bradman’s was one of several he would have been issued with.

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3. MS Dhoni’s 2011 World Cup final bat

When MS Dhoni smashed the winning six in the 2011 ODI cricket World Cup final, he cemented his place in Indian cricket folklore. His match-winning bat was later auctioned in London, fetching a record-breaking £100,000.

The funds went to his charitable foundation, making it one of the most celebrated cricket memorabilia auctions in history. It remains the most expensive cricket bat ever bought.

4. Kapil Dev’s 1983 World Cup jersey

India’s triumph in the 1983 World Cup is often credited with sparking a cricketing revolution in the country.

Kapil Dev’s match-worn jersey from that historic final against the West Indies fetched around £60,000 at auction, purchased by an anonymous buyer who wanted to preserve a slice of cricket’s defining moment.

5. Sachin Tendulkar’s signed bat collection

Sachin Tendulkar, the ‘Little Master’, has seen multiple items of his memorabilia go under the hammer. Among the most expensive was a collection of his signed bats from milestone innings, which collectively fetched over £50,000.

With Tendulkar’s godlike status in India, his memorabilia consistently rank among the most sought-after. The shirt Tendulkar wore in his landmark farewell Test also went for a sizeable sum with the funds raised donated to the Indian Head Injury Foundation.

6. CK Nayudu’s 1932 India debut cap

CK Nayudu, India’s first Test captain, remains a historic figure. His cap from the team’s inaugural Test cricket match against England in 1932 was sold at auction for £35,000.

While Nayudu is not a name in the realm of Kohli, Tendulkar or Dhoni, he was nevertheless a key figure in the birth of the Indian game and his cap represents not just the player, but the legacy that was built on his shoulders.

In total Nayudu played seven Tests and averaged 25 runs, but his value is not in his statistics.

7. Viv Richards’ World Cup bat

Viv Richards was the king of swagger in cricket, and his bat from the 1979 World Cup final, when he scored a blistering 138 not out, was auctioned for around £30,000.

For West Indies fans, this was not just a bat – it was a piece of their golden era. Richards was a force of nature, and his bat isn’t the only personal item of his that fetched plenty – his Test cap also fetched a big price when it was auctioned in 2019.

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