In India, cricket has transcended the boundary of being just a sport and has become a religion. The people have sentiments attached to the game like their life depends on it. A kid growing up in India aspires to be a cricketer first and a doctor later. Well if you look at the bigger picture, this is not a bad idea since who doesn’t want to be rich doing what they love? Being a decent cricketer in India nets you significant wealth, as we’ll see on this list of the richest cricketers in India.
If you look at the data, some of India’s richest people and sportspersons are cricketers. This investment of wealth in sports was a long journey, but now we have players whose net worths are skyrocketing.
In this article, I will talk about a few such legends who have proven their worth and then and understand how they accumulated their wealth. We must know what cricket as a sport has done for us, especially for the people listed here who have given their lives for it, metaphorically.
10 Richest Cricketers in India
Even though we are talking about the wealth of these legendary players and how their legacy will be remembered for the next century, it is critical to not forget their undying contribution to the sport. With its debut in 1932, the Indian cricket team has been a league of the finest gentlemen playing the sport.
Now without much ado, let us meet some wealthiest cricketers in India for some inspiration and begin our daily dose of DuniyaKaGyan.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, also known as the God of Cricket, is one of the greatest Indian cricketers who has ever lived. With a spectacular record of scoring 100 centuries in international cricket, his endorsement deals are extremely impressive. Let’s check out how deep his pockets are:
Net Worth: $170 million and currently he is the world’s richest cricketer, as per Business Insider.
Endorsements:
After being in the game for the last 24 years, he has some big brands backing him. This includes Pepsi, Boost, Unacademy, Airtel, PayTm, Bajaj, Savlon, and many others.
Earnings from Endorsements:
As per The Times of India, the God of Cricket earns about 20 to 22 crore or $2.4 to 2.64 million each year from his brand endorsements.
Investments:
Whatever a man touches rarely becomes gold, but not in the case of Sachin Tendulkar. He has invested thoroughly in multiple companies which has diversified his business portfolio too. Some of them include the likes of RRP Electronics, Spinny, Musafir, FirstCry and others.
He has also invested strategically in the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) and was in the news for picking up 438,210 shares of the company Azad Engineering.
2. MS Dhoni
Dhoni, also known as the “Captain Cool”, single-handedly took the legacy of Indian cricket forward and set the bar higher than his predecessors. Regarded as a legendary cricketer, he is the most successful Indian cricket captain to date.
He has brands and endorsements chasing him till date, like he used to chase the ball in the field.
Net Worth: $111 million.
Endorsements:
Mahender Singh Dhoni has been the face of multiple brands and has been associated with more than fifty brands. The reports estimate that he charges an approx of 72,000 USD per day for his endorsements. You will get an idea of his brand value with his recent association with Citroen for a whopping 84,000 USD for two years.
Some of the top brands he has associated himself with are Pepsi, Cello, McDowell’s Soda, Big Bazaar, Siyarams, Sound Logic, Orient PSPO, Star Sports, Oreo, Dream11, Lava, TVS Motors, and Gulf Oil.
Earnings from Endorsements:
It is estimated that his endorsements make him $27 million richer every year, which makes him one of the highest-paid athletes ever.
Investments:
Even though he has retired from international cricket, he has not made any decisions on his IPL career yet and gets a massive chunk of wealth from there. Moreover, he has made some significant investments ever since, which include startups like Cars24, Khatabook, and Garuda Airspace.
Apart from that, he has his fitness centers known as SportsFit, and has a hotel of its own called the Mahi Residency. He was also paid handsomely for the rights to his biopic: MS Dhoni an Untold Story.
3. Virat Kohli
Deemed as one of the best that India has ever seen, Virat Kohli is known for his aggressive approach and fierce skillsets on the field. The former captain (all formats) of India retired recently, following India’s win at the 2024 T20 World Cup. With the record of scoring the most centuries in one-day cricket and being the second player to have the most international centuries scored, he has cemented his legacy in cricket.
Net Worth: $126 million.
Endorsements: Virat’s glamorous appeal, backed by his fierce sportsmanship, has led many brands to be endorsed by him. All the popular brands like Myntra, Puma, Toyota, Herbalife Nutrition, Fastrack, Audi India, Adidas, Clear Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, MuveAcoustics, Hyperice, Cinthol, Celkon Mobiles, Tissot, Too Yumm, and Mobile Premier League, along with many others are attached with his legendary cricketer.
Earnings from Endorsements:
As per media reports, Virat Kohli charges Rs 7.50 crore to Rs 10 crore (120,000 USD) for each of his endorsement deals.
Investments:
He has been investing in some major brands and startups. He was recently in the news for the same with Go Digit General Insurance IPO’s return figures. Some of his known brand investments include names like Rage Coffee, Puma, One8, Hyperice, Blue Tribe, and FC Goa.
4. Rohit Sharma
The present Indian captain has many accolades to his name which include most double centuries in ODI cricket, most centuries at Cricket World Cups, and many more. Rohit is also the only player to win 50 matches as captain in T20. His young spirit, backed by his impeccable talent, makes him a sportsman of value and merit.
Net Worth: $2.57 million
Endorsements: It is needless to say that a brand endorsed by a sportsman like Rohit Sharma will ensure a massive cult following. This is the truth if you look at brands like Oppo, La Liga, Dream11, Nasivion nasal spray, Aristocrat by VIP Industries, Adidas, Hublot, and many others.
Earnings from Endorsements: Reportedly, this “hitman” charges Rs 5 crore or 60,000 USD for each brand deal.
Investments: Apart from his salary from BCCI and IPL, he has multiple brand endorsements and various investments to enhance his portfolio. As per media reports, he has invested close to 89 crores (10.98 million USD) in startups which include LEO1, Veiroots Wellness Solutions, and others.
He also has a cricket academy that aims to educate budding cricketers on the tricks and trades of the game from the very best.
5. Yuvraj Singh
One of the finest players that the Indian cricket team has ever seen, Yuvraj Singh has a lot of commendable records to his name. This Arjuna Award and Padma Shri award winner is famously known for his six sixes in one over. He has won 7 Player of the Series awards and also had a record for the fastest half-century in International cricket.
Net Worth: $35 million
Endorsements: Brands used to and still line up to onboard the craze that comes with this legendary player. Some of them include big names like Lays, Birla Sun Life Insurance, Puma, Whirlpool, Pepsi, and Revital.
Earnings from Endorsements: Apart from earning $10.2 million from his IPL contracts for the last few years, his brand deals fetch him $120,481 per month.
Investments: Yuvraj Singh, popularly known as Yuvi, has been known to invest in brands like Nothing and startups like Healthians, EduKart, and EazyDiner amongst others.
6. Suresh Raina
This aggressive left-handed middle-order batsman was one of the important names in Indian Cricket before he announced his retirement in 2020. He was one of the players in the team when India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Another fun anecdote about him is he was the second-youngest player ever to captain India.
Net Worth: $25 Million
Endorsements: Even though we see less of him these days, he is attached to brands like Bharat Pe, Intex, Boost Energy Drinks, Maggi, Timex, Adidas, and Fantain, amongst many others.
Earnings from Endorsements: Although there aren’t many recent reports of his earnings, as per Sportskeeda his earnings from his endorsements add up to a massive $1.3 million.
Investments: Apart from co-founding a babycare brand called Maate, he has a restaurant in Amsterdam.
7. KL Rahul
Kannur Lokesh Rahul is the first Indian till date to score a century on his debut and the fastest batsman in the world to score a century across all three formats of international cricket. It has merely been ten years that he has been representing India and has already become a youth icon and inspiration to many.
Net Worth: $12.3 Million
Endorsements: You can find KL Rahul being associated with many big shots like Beardo, Cure. fit, Bharat Pe, Red Bull, Gully, Boat, and Realme.
Earnings from Endorsements: He has been a prominent face in the Indian Premier League and has earned a sum of 10.02 million USD till now. As per Indiatimes, he charges 12,195 USD for all his shoots.
Investments: He was recently in the news for investing in Boldfit. Along with that, he has associated himself with businesses like Hyugalife, 4Cast, and Players Fund, etc.
8. Shikhar Dhawan
With an impressive batting average of 65.15, last but not least, Shikhar Dhawan was the leading scorer of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He is known as the cricketer who has the highest score by an Indian on a Test debut.
Net Worth: $15 million
Endorsements: Shikhar Dhawan has been the face of brands like Boat, IMG
Lays, Oppo, Nerolac Paints, and GS Caltex, amongst many others.
Earnings from Endorsements: Cashing in a whooping 1,007,317 USD from his IPL contracts, the brand endorsements fetch him a handsome amount of money. It is evident from his investment worth $730,000 for a second luxurious apartment or his magnificent collections of cars, bikes, and watches.
Investments: He has recently been in the news for investing and partnering with QUE.
9. Hardik Pandya
The man who represented India in all three formats of cricket and the vice captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup team, Hardik is synonymous with Indian cricket right now. With a reputation of being one of the best all-rounders in the world, his contributions to the game are unparalleled.
Net Worth: $11.3 million
Endorsements: Villain, Reliance Retail, and Silver Consumer Electricals, amongst many others.
Earnings from Endorsements: His successful IPL career has ensured for the last few years that his brand value never drops. His lavish residence and his fancy cars are a testament to that. However, his twenty or so brand endorsements fetch him around $301,204.
Investments: He has made business decisions to invest in brands like Aretto, Yu Foodlabs LenDenClub, and others.
10. Rishabh Pant
Another name in the top earning Indian cricketer’s list is the young, budding yet phenomenally talented cricketer, Rishabh Pant. The vice captain of the India U-19 team and a member of the team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rishabh is slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Net Worth: $1.2 million
Endorsements: Initially known for his fastest century in the Ranjit trophy, Rishabh is now known for his brand endorsements and deals. Some of them include Cadbury, Zomato, Himalayan, Realme, JSW Steel, Dream11, and Adidas.
Earnings from Endorsements: Being the captain of Delhi Capitals and his IPL venture has earned him 16 crores (192,000 USD) to date. His brand endorsements also fetch him a significant amount of money, which is evident from his assets like the Audi A8 and Ford Mustang.
Investments: He was recently in the news for taking a 2% stake in Techjockey for Rs 7.40 crore.
Conclusion
Well, that was our list of the male players who have raked in big bucks from the game. A great thing about cricket in India is that it is the only sport where we see the players getting their due and recognition for the handwork they are putting in.
However, we still have a long way to go when it comes to the women’s cricket team. Until then, I hope this list has given you the information you were looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Who is the richest cricketer in India in 2024?
The richest cricketer in India in 2024 is Sachin Tendulkar, with a net worth of $150 million.
2. How much does MS Dhoni earn from endorsements?
MS Dhoni reportedly earns a whopping $27 million from his endorsements.
3. Which cricketer has the most brand endorsements in India?
Virat Kohli has the credit of having the most brand endorsements in India.
4. What businesses do Rohit Sharma invest in?
Rohit Sharma is known to invest in brands like LEO1, Veiroots Wellness Solutions, and others.
5. How did Rishabh Pant become one of the richest cricketers in India?
Apart from his earnings with BCCI, he gets a significant amount from his IPL stint and various brand endorsements.
6. What are Hardik Pandya’s major sources of income?
He receives a salary from BCCI. Moreover, his brand deals and IPL payouts are his major sources of income.
7. How much wealth has Yuvraj Singh accumulated after retirement?
As per The Times of India, Yuvraj Singh has an accumulated wealth of $35 million after his retirement.
