Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Ravi Shastri's Gold Audi and How It Changed Indian Sport
Long ago, in 1985, a young Indian cricketer named Ravi Shastri won a big cricket tournament in Australia.
His prize was a shiny gold car called an Audi.
He was so excited that he drove it around the cricket ground, even though he did not have a driving license.
His teammates sat on the car, and one player's spiked shoes scratched the gold paint.
Back in India, foreign cars were almost impossible to buy, so thousands of people came to the docks just to see the car.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi helped make sure the car could enter the country without paying a huge tax.
The gold car became famous and showed Indians that athletes could win wonderful prizes.
After that, Indian cricketers started getting big advertising deals and became brand stars.
Today, Indian cricket and sports sponsorship are worth huge amounts of money, and many people say it all started with that gold car.
On March 10, 1985, Ravi Shastri won a gold Audi 100 as Player of the Tournament at the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia.
India won all five matches, beating Pakistan by eight wickets in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) before 35,296 spectators.
Shastri scored 182 runs at an average of 45.5 and took eight wickets with his left-arm spin across the tournament.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered the import duty waived after the car faced a tax bill of more than INR 50 lakh under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.
Restored by Raymond Group chairman Gautam Singhania's Super Car Club Garage and returned on June 3, 2022, the Audi is seen as a symbol that helped launch India's sports sponsorship industry.
- Who
- Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar's Indian cricket team, and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who waived the import duty.
- What
- India won the 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket, and Shastri won a gold Audi 100 as Player of the Tournament.
- When
- March 10, 1985, when India beat Pakistan in the final; the restored car was returned to Shastri on June 3, 2022.
- Where
- Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia; the car was later shipped to Mumbai, India.
- Why
- Shastri was named 'Champion of Champions' for his all-round performance, and the prize car became a symbol that helped spark India's modern sports sponsorship industry, including the Indian Premier League.
- Event
- 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket held in Australia
- Prize
- Gold Audi 100
- Winner
- Ravi Shastri (Player of the Tournament, 'Champion of Champions')
- Final result
- India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets at the MCG
- Shastri's record
- 182 runs at an average of 45.5 and 8 wickets in 5 matches
- Crowd at final
- 35,296 spectators
- Import duty
- Waived by PM Rajiv Gandhi; tax bill exceeded INR 50 lakh
- Restoration
- By Gautam Singhania of Raymond Group at Super Car Club Garage, Thane; completed June 3, 2022