RICHEST CRICKETERS IN INDIA HISTORY
Source: MidDay
Cricket is a religion in India, they say. And quite naturally, the cricketers, it's very own Demigods. It is estimated that over 4/7th of the country's population regularly follows the sport while many more watch it once in a while. Clearly, when a single
Cricketers make money from many sources. The first, of course, is the contracts with BCCI. The board has segregated players into four categories – Grade A+, A, B, and C based on their rank in the squad and it pays ₹ 7, 5, 3, and 1 crore per annum to players in it respectively. Other sources include IPL fees and endorsement fees amongst others.
Here is the list of top 15 Richest Cricketers in India
15
Ravichandran Ashwin – $ 8.7 million
Credits: cricket.com
Ravichandran Ashwin first broke on to the scenes in Indian Premier League as a quality spinner for CSK. And once he made it to the national team as a replacement for Harbhajan Singh, he ruled for quite a long time. A Grade A player, Ashwin earns ₹ 5 crores per annum from his BCCI contracts. However, the biggest source of income has been IPL, where he has made a total of ₹ 57.2 crores in the last 10 years.
14
Shikhar Dhawan – $ 9 million
Credits: Mumbai Mirror
After making the ODI debut in 2010, left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan made the opening slot one of Indian cricket his own. Known for his striking moustache, Dhawan is a grade A+ player and thus, earns ₹ 7 crores per year.
He has been playing in the IPL for over 10 years and has earned a cumulative ₹ 60 crores from it. Dhawan also appears in numerous advertisements including Nerolac Paints among others.
13
Dinesh Karthik – $ 9.6 million
Credits: India Today
Dinesh Karthik always remained in the shadow of MS Dhoni for quite a long time. However, his moment of reckoning came in 2018, when KKR bought him for ₹ 7.5 crores. He not only became the captain there but also went on to feature in the national team regularly. A Grade B player, Karthik earns ₹ 3 crores per annum from the BCCI contract. In terms of his IPL earnings, the Chennai-based player has made over ₹ 61 crores in total.
12
Ravindra Jadeja – $ 10 million
Credits: The Cricket Monthly
Ravindra Jadeja starred in the title-winning campaign for Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural IPL season. The Saurashtra all-rounder wooed everyone with his blazing performances, enough to persuade CSK to splash ₹ 9.2 crores on him in the 2012 auctions. His total career earning from IPL stand at ₹ 63 crores. Jadeja also earns ₹ 5 crores per year for his national duties.
11
Robin Uthappa – $ 11.5 million
Credits NDTV
Robin Uthappa made a name for himself early in the career with his explosive batting. He even played a crucial part in India lifting the inaugural 2007 ICC World T20. However, a declining form and increasing competition saw Uthappa lose his spot from the national team.
Nonetheless, he still made it big on the domestic front – in IPL. Having been brought by Pune Warriors India for a record ₹ 9.6 crores in 2011. Three years later, Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank and signed him for $ 2.4 million. Uthappa's consistent performance in the league has seen him collect ₹ 65.8 crores in the last 12 years.
10
Suresh Raina – $ 14 million
Credits: Cricket Express
Suresh Raina is considered amongst the best T20 batsman in the country today. He is the first cricketer to cross 5,000 runs in the Indian Premier League and is its highest scorer. Obviously, performing well in the world's richest league is always rewarding. IPL side, Chennai Super Kings paid him a massive ₹ 11 crores for the 12th season. He further pockets a cool ₹1 crore per year under the contract with BCCI.
9
Ѕourаv Ganguly – $15 mіllіоn
Sourav Ganguly was one of the most successful captains in the history of Indian cricket. Popularly known as the Prince of Bengal, Ganguly has a reported net worth of approximately ₹ 99 crores from BCCI salaries and endorsements. He was brought for a fee of $1.1 million by Kolkata Knight Riders. Ganguly owns a minority stake in the Indian Super League side ATK and is currently coaching Delhi Capitals alongside Ricky Ponting.
8
Rohit Ѕhаrmа – $19 mіllіоn
Credits MI Twitter
Rohit Sharma is Indian Cricket team's Vice Captain in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup. He holds the record of hitting the highest individual score in cricket – 264. On the business side, the Hitman has made a big fortune from IPL, having played in the competition for over 11 years.
Along with MS Dhoni, he recently became the first player to cross ₹ 100 crores in lifetime earning from the league. Being an A+ Grade player, BCCI pays Sharma ₹ 7 crores per annum under the new contract from last year. Apart from the above, he also makes over ₹7 crores in endorsements.
7
Gаutаm Gambhir – $20 mіllіоn
Image Source: ohmyindia.com
Gautam Gambhir is a former Indian opener and is fondly remembered for his knock of 97 runs in the 2011 World Cup final. Like many others in this list, he too made quick bucks from IPL. Having captained Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir made ₹ 94.6 crores in total from the league. He appears regularly on the commentary panel in popular competitions.
6
Rаhul Dravid – $ 23 mіllіоn
Credits Twitter
Widely regarded as the best batsmen in the sport's history, it is not hard to imagine why Rahul Dravid makes it to this list. The Indian legend has a total net worth of ₹ 160 crores. At the moment, he serves as the coach for the India U-19 and A team apart from being the Overseas batting consultant for the India National cricket team. Dravid is also the brand ambassador of Election Commission of India.
5
Yuvrај Ѕіngh – $25 mіllіоn
Credits Twitter
Yuvraj Singh has been a mainstay in the Indian team for the better part of the 2000s and the early 2010s. In fact, he was adjudged as the Man of the Tournament in the ICC World Cup 2011 for his all-around performance. Apart from the match fee, a major chunk of his income has been made from IPL. In fact, he ranks at No. 5 when it comes to lifetime earnings from the league – ₹ 83.6 crores.
4
Vіrеndrа Ѕеhwаg – $40 mіllіоn
Credits Twitter
Virendra Sehwag was known for his explosive brand of batting skills, irrespective of the game's format. His earnings from the sport have been equally blazing. The Nawab of Najafgarh pocketed around ₹ 38 crores from BCCI salary, approximately ₹ 28 crores from endorsements and ₹ 12.5 crores during his time as a Kings XI Punjab player in IPL. Sehwag owns a cricket academy apart venturing into other businesses.
3
Virat Kohli – $83 mіllіоn
Credits: Indian Express
Being amongst the best performers in the most popular sport of the second most populated country is highly rewarding. Just ask Virat Kohli. The current World ODI and Test No.1 batsman, known for his consistency, is reported to have a net worth of over ₹ 576 crores. That makes him one of the best-paid athletes in the world. Prominent income sources include endorsements (he is the costliest Indian athlete here), IPL (he was paid ₹ 17 crores in 2018 by RCB), and his own business ventures (One8, Wrogn).
Virat Kohli image as a stylish youth icon has landed him several endorsements. Kohli's brand endorsements crossed the ₹100 crore mark in 2013 itself. Some of these prominent brands are MRF, Puma, Audi, Manyavar, etc.
2
МЅ Dhоnі – $129 mіllіоn
Credits: India Today
The ultimate poster boy of Indian cricket, MS Dhoni's stock has been rising ever since he broke into the Indian team. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's net worth is estimated to be approximately ₹895 crores. MSD is IPL's highest earner (lifetime), having pocketed over ₹ 108 crores in 12 years.
He earns millions through his endorsements and stakes in various ventures. He owns stakes in football club Chennaiyin FC, Mahi Racing Team India, and Ranchi Rays. His brand endorsements include Amrapali Group, Ashok Leyland, Aircel, Reebok, Big Bazaar, TVS Motors, and many more.
Dhoni also holds the position of Vice President (Marketing) at India Cements. His contract with Chennai Super Kings is worth $1.5 million. According to BCCI, Dhoni's retainer fee is $209256 (2 crores), Test fee is $23194 (15 lakh), ODI fee is $9277 (6 lakh) and T20 Fee is $4638 (3 lakh).
Dhoni owns a residence in Dehradun worth $27 million. He operates a hotel, Hotel Mahi Residency, in Jharkhand. Another of his business venture is a chain of gyms across the country.
1
Ѕасhіn Tendulkar – $161 mіllіоn
Credits Twitter
Sachin Tendulkar is widely recognized as the greatest batsman in cricket. If we look at his illustrious career and, it isn't surprising that Master Blaster has a net worth of ₹ 980 Crore. In the year 2013, he was listed as number 51 in Forbes list "The World's Highest-Paid Athletes." Tendulkar made $9 million in the year 2016 through endorsements and investments.
Tendulkar has endorsed brands such as Coca-Cola, BMW India, and Adidas. He is also a co-owner of Bengaluru Blasters in Premier Badminton League and Kerala Blasters in ISL. Tendulkar also owns ten luxury cars that cost around ₹ 15 crore and properties worth ₹ 520 crores. Tendulkar is also a partner at two restaurant chains, Tendulkar's and Sachin's.