India’s Wealthiest Cricket Players

Cricket is one of the most popular sports around the world, with thousands of people tuning in every day for the latest game going on. From the British player Ben Stokes to Virat Kohli in India, people love having a sports idol that they can look forward to watching.

An increase in the popularity of cricket worldwide has been influenced by the betting options available. Many online sportbooks now offer cricket related bets, allowing fans of the sport to place bets on cricket matches and tournaments adding to the excitement of the games.

With cricket growing in popularity in recent years, it then begs the question, do cricket players earn as much as the fandom they receive? Famous athletes across the world are known for their enormous salaries that allow then to live lavish lifestyles that many of us envy, yet not every sport is equal when it comes down to the paycheck.

On average, cricket players can earn anywhere between £12,000 and £625,000 a year. While it doesn’t quite amount to the salaries of those in the UK Premier League, with bonuses on top of the traditional contract and appearance fees, cricket players around the world don’t do so badly. As an intrinsic part of India’s culture, cricket is enjoyed by people across the country and their players are paid generously too. Below, we’ll take a look at some of India’s wealthiest cricket players.

Sachin Tendulkar – Rs 1090 Crore ($150 million)

Not only does this star cricket player hold the title for the richest cricket player in India, he also holds the title of the richest cricket player in the world. He is the only cricketer in the world to have 100 centuries in international cricket and is worshiped by cricket fans across India.

With a net worth of $170 million, Tendulkar made his money by also participating in advertising partnerships from early on in his career. Some of the brands he has worked with include UNICEF, BMW, Luminous, Reliance Communications, and Toshiba. It is thought today that Tendulkar earns $18 million for every deal that he signs.

Virat Kohli – Rs 980 Crore

 As an Indian international cricketer and the former captain of the Indian national cricket team, Kohli played as a right-handed batsman for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and for the Delhi in Indian domestic cricket.  He is also well known for holding the records for scoring most runs in T20 internationals and in the IPL.

Of course, Kohli is also known for being one of the richest cricket players in the world. Kohli is thought to have a net worth of Rs 980 crore and an annual income of Rs 7 crore, not counting his match fee.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - INR 767 Crore ($111 Million)

With a population of around 1.3 billion, there aren’t many households or individuals in India who don’t worship the ground that Mahendra Singh Dhoni walks on. Having performed as India’s captain at one point in his career, this player has an impressive 3 ICC trophies to show for his performance. In fact, at one point he was also one of the highest paid celebrities in India.

Part of this success was having some big endorsements tied to his name with leading brands from around the world. It is thought that Dhoni makes around $30 million a year from endorsements alone. Some of these brands include Gulf Oil, Boost, Reebok, Sony Bravia, Lays, Colgate, Orient and many more.

In addition to this, the well known and loved cricket player even owns his own fashion brand called Se7en' and is also the co-owner of ISL team Chennaiyan FC, Mahi Racing Team India, and Ranchi Rays.

Rishabh Pant – Rs 36 Crore

As India’s left-handed batsman and cricket keeper, Pant is a very famous and well-loved cricket player in India. He became famous for being the fastest wicketkeeper for India to make 1,000 runs in Test cricket and has a net worth of Rs 36 crores.

It is also thought that he earns around Rs 5 crore annually, making him another of the wealthiest cricket players in the world. While Pant may not participate in as many endorsements deals as his fellow players, his salary and career are pretty impressive, justifying the lavish salary that accompanies his position.

Overall, cricket is one of the most loved sports in the world, yet it often doesn’t receive as much glory as the likes of football or tennis. While these players don’t earn the same kind of salary as someone playing in the Superbowl, nonetheless, their salaries, careers and lifestyles are pretty impressive and will continue to inspire the next generation of both Indian and international cricket players.