The date of April 2nd, 2011, is etched forever in the folklore of world cricket, and is the then captain MS Dhoni’s World Cup winning six to Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on, sending the Wankhede stadium and over a billion people into a frenzy.
That shot from Mahendra Singh Dhoni ended India’s 28-year-old wait for an ODI World Cup trophy, with Kapil Dev leading India to their first-ever World Cup title in 1983 at Lord’s.
The bat Mahendra Singh Dhoni used in the World Cup 2011 final and with which he hit that sensational sixer has now been sold for a massive price in an auction. That bat, with which Dhoni became immortal, cementing a place in the annals of Indian cricket, is now the most expensive cricket bat used in the history of the game.
MS Dhoni’s bat from 2011 World Cup final sold for INR 83 lakhs in London
Shortly after the 2011 World Cup, the Reebok labeled bat which Mahendra Singh Dhoni used in the 2011 WC final was sold for a whopping INR 83 lakhs in an auction in London.
The R.K. Global Shares & Securities Ltd (India) bought that bat of MS Dhoni during the ‘East meets West’ charity dinner on July 18, 2011, and the money raised from the auction was used for the development of the Sakshi Foundation, which is the charity of MS Dhoni’s wife, Sakshi.
The price of this bat created a Guinness World Record.
The Guinness World Record even has an official entry on its website about that bat, stating that “The most expensive cricket bat was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat sold at auction for £100,000 ($161,295), bought by R K Global Shares & Securities Ltd (India), at the M.S Dhoni’s ‘East Meets West’ Charity Dinner, in London, UK, on 18 July 2011. The bat was used by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in World Cup 2011 finals on 2 April 2011 at Wankhede Stadium to hit the winning shot.”
India were given the target of 275 runs as Mahela Jayawardene scored a brilliant century. In reply, India lost both openers early before Kohli and Gautam Gambhir attested the tide with a crucial stand. At Kohli’s wicket, Dhoni promoted himself over Yuvraj Singh and Gambhir and MS Dhoni got into 90s. Though both couldn’t get to a century, Dhoni ensured India lifted the trophy.
