When cricket started in the mid-18th century, it was not a famous sport and didn’t enjoy massive viewership. However, the game has gained a tremendous following in the 21st century and is the 2nd most popular sport in the world after Football. Cricket earns the majority of its revenue from viewers and selling sponsor rights. Fortunately, there is no dearth of spectators with over 3 billion people following the sport worldwide that has transformed cricket into a separate profitable industry. But, it is not the sport that pulls the crowd but the superstar players who play the role of crowd-puller due to their mind-blowing performances. Every generation has had its superstar players. But, this generation is different. With social media marketing, brand endorsements, and domestic leagues in play, the scope of earning has been magnified. That is why cricketers enjoy luxurious lifestyles and are no less than the movie starts in today’s age. We’ve brought to you a list of 10 highest paid cricketers in the world.
9. Pat Cummins: At the bottom of the list is Australia pacer, Pat Cummins. The fast bowler who has performed well in Test cricket for his side earns nearly $3 million nearly out of which $2.8 million comes from his salary for playing for Australia. He earns $500,000 through various endorsements. Cummings also has some off-field investments.
8. AB de Villiers: The Greatest South African white-ball cricketer AB de Villiers is next on the list. De Villiers enjoys a massive fan following both in South Africa and the world and that has helped him in earning $3 million yearly. Mr. 360 earns $2.5 million from his base salary and another $500,000 through endorsing various brands including Montblanc, Puma, Audi, etc.
7. Jasprit Bumrah: The next on the list is India’s yorker-machine and death over specialist bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has changed how the world saw the Indian bowling unit. The lethal pacer earns $4.25 million yearly with $1.75 million coming from his base salary and another $2.5 million through endorsements for various brands including Cultsport and Dream 11. He is one of the only three Indian cricketers in the A+ contract of the BCCI.
6. Steve Smith: The next is former Australia captain and Test cricket, specialist Steve Smith who has broken many shackles with his off the rule book approach towards the game. Smith is one of the highest-paid Australia cricketers of all time with a yearly income of nearly $7.5 million. Smith’s base salary is $2.5 million while he earns $5 million from various endorsements for brands such as Koala.
5. Hardik Pandya: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is the next on the list. Pandya has got fame and success early in his career with the help of his aggressive mindset. The Gujarat-based cricketer makes a yearly income of $8 million with $3 million coming from base salary and $5 million for endorsing various brands including Star Sports, Gulf Oil, and Gillette.
4. Ben Stokes: Arguably the best all-rounder currently, Stokes is the highest-earning English cricketer on the list. The left-handed batting all-rounder earns a whopping $8 million yearly with $3 million coming from base salary and $5 million from various endorsements for brands such as New Balance, Red Bull, etc. Stokes also earns a chunk of his earnings from his IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals.
3. Rohit Sharma: The Indian vice-captain and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is third on the list dominated by Indian cricketers. Rohit earns $10 million yearly. He is also on the BCCI’s A+ contract list. Sharma earns $3 million from his base salary and $7 million for endorsing brands like Adidas, Cadbury, and La Liga. Apart from this, he also earns from his contract with Mumbai Indians.
2. MS Dhoni: Like any other cricket record of the modern-day cricket, Dhoni finds mention among the top listers in this list as well. Dhoni earns a whopping $14 million with $3.5 million coming from his base salary. However, this amount is going to disappear soon as he has announced his retirement from international cricket. Dhoni earns $10.5 million through endorsing national and international brands including PepsiCo, RedBus, Colgate. He also found a mention in Forbes 100 highest-paid athletes list. He is also the captain of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni is also a part of the territorial army.
1. Virat Kohli: Like any other record in modern-day cricket, Indian skipper Virat Kohli is at the helm of this list too. Kohli is the highest-paid cricketer with a yearly earning of $28 million. Kohli earns $4 million from his A+ contract with BCCI and another contract with his IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore as well. Kohli was mentioned in Forbes 100 Highest-Paid Athletes list of 2020. The Indian skipper is very popular across the world and enjoys a massive fan following. He earns a whopping $24 million from endorsements for brands such as Audi, Puma, Flipkart, Google. He also owns several brands and a restaurant. He earns a whopping Rs. 3.62 crores per social media post, which is the fifth-highest in the world.
