If you hear that cricket in India is a religion it’s no hyperbole, it’s a reality. A lot of TV sets have lost their lives to a poor Indian cricket team result. Yet, even as resentment is kindled by the highs, the victories bring joys to the country like no other. And just about a decade ago, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni deposited the ball in the stands to win the ICC Men’s World Cup the country collectively missed a beat. Goosebumps, that is. And aujourd’hui. A cricketing shot that saw a massive cheer from 124.7 crore people. The country is always feeling the hangover of a party that was so good.
With the moment in our memory still engraved, here’s a piece of memorabilia that will definitely bring those memories back. We talk about the bat with which the then Indian captain, MSD, thwacked the ball over the ropes. The bat that has gone from being Mahi’s willow to the world’s most expensive bat. After 28 years, the Reebok branded English willow immediately held the spot as the most valuable memorabilia of India’s World Cup triumph. Mahi eventually released it at an auction after hoarding for much of the past decade, and donated the proceeds to charity for his wife, according to NDTV. It was worth around four to five thousand Indian rupees before Dhoni used it to smash the leather ball around the park. Yet the bat was purchased by RK Global Share and Securities LTD for a whopping Rs 83 lakhs ($161,295), with the sentimental value attached to it. The largest amount anybody ever spent on a piece of English willow across the globe. World Records’ Guinness Book officially confirmed it’s the world’s most expensive cricket bat.
