The cricket bat used by Indian captain MS Dhoni to hit the winning runs in April's world cup final sold for a new world record for a bat last night (July 18).
Dhoni hit the winning six against Sri Lanka with the bat, which achieved £100,000 at a charity auction in London's Hilton Park Lane hotel.
The previous world record for a bat had been £85,000, realised at Christie's in 2000 for the willow Garfield Sobers used to knock 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958.
 Dhoni is also a dab hand behind the stumps |
It also surpasses the price garnered for the bat former India captain Sachin Tendulkar used when compiling 163 not out against New Zealand at Christchurch in 2009.
It sold at a charity auction last year for £58,000.
The sale will help raise funds towards Dhoni's new charity, Winning Ways Today for Tomorrow, which aims to encourage children from disadvantaged backgrounds to play the game.
| Dhoni hits the winning runs in the world cup final |
"The charity will look to continue its dedication to improving children's accessibility to cricket by building a sports academy where children will be able to develop their talents across a whole range of disciplines," he commented.
The Indian cricket team is currently in London preparing for the test series against England which begins on Thursday at Lords.
Signed bats are also popular with collectors. A bat signed by India's upcoming opponents is currently for sale on the private market.
The most expensive item of cricket memorabilia remains a collection of scorebooks, compiled by the MCC's first scorer between 1795 and 1806, which made £324,000 at Christie's in 2005.
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