Richest Indian Cricket Players: The Top 13 Ranked by Net Worth
On this page17
- 01Ajay Jadeja — about ₹1,450 crore
- 02Sachin Tendulkar — about ₹1,400 crore
- 03MS Dhoni — about ₹1,060 crore
- 04Virat Kohli — about ₹1,050 crore
- 05Virender Sehwag — about ₹350 crore
- 06Yuvraj Singh — about ₹291 crore
- 07Gautam Gambhir — about ₹265 crore
- 08Sunil Gavaskar — about ₹160–260 crore
- 09Suresh Raina — about ₹215 crore
- 10Rohit Sharma — about ₹214 crore
- 11Rahul Dravid — about ₹197 crore
- 12Kapil Dev — about ₹130–150 crore
- 13Sourav Ganguly — about ₹115–125 crore
- 14How We Ranked Them
- 15Why Indian Cricketers Earn So Much
- 16Cricket Wealth vs. Total Wealth
- 17What Moves These Rankings
We rank by total estimated 2026 net worth, not annual salary. Inherited wealth, endorsement longevity, franchise or business equity, and post-career media income all lift a placement — which is why a 1990s batter with a royal inheritance can outrank a modern superstar.
- Inheritance outlier
Ajay Jadeja — about ₹1,450 crore
Jadeja tops the table on a technicality most fans dismiss: the bulk of his estimated fortune comes from family, not cricket. He was named heir to the royal house of Jamnagar in 2024, and that title reportedly pushed his net worth past ₹1,450 crore, overtaking Kohli on paper.
His actual playing record — 15 Tests and 196 ODIs between 1992 and 2000, plus a long second act as a TV commentator — would place him far down this list on its own. He ranks first only because we count total net worth; strip out the inheritance and Tendulkar is cricket's true wealthiest son.
Career: 15 Tests, 196 ODIs (1992–2000) · Wealth driver: Jamnagar royal inheritance, real estate · Playing legacy: middle-order batter, elite fielder
- Career leader
Sachin Tendulkar — about ₹1,400 crore
Tendulkar is the richest Indian cricketer who built it through the game. He retired from international cricket in 2013 after 24 years, yet his estimated ₹1,400 crore has kept compounding — proof that in Indian cricket, playing fees are only the starting point.
He ranks above Dhoni and Kohli because his brand equity is both older and broader. He was India's first true crossover celebrity, with three decades of endorsements from MRF, BMW, and Adidas, plus an equity stake in the IPL's Mumbai Indians and holdings in ventures like Smaaash Entertainment. Sponsors have paid to attach themselves to the "Little Master" longer than most current players have been alive.
Status: retired (2013) · Wealth drivers: MRF/BMW/Adidas deals, Mumbai Indians stake, property · Career: 24 years, both formats
- Franchise icon
MS Dhoni — about ₹1,060 crore
Dhoni stopped playing for India in 2020 but still captains Chennai Super Kings, which keeps him commercially live in a way most retirees are not. His fortune blends a CSK salary, the Seven apparel label, a stake in drone maker Garuda Aerospace, football club Chennaiyin FC, and a chain of fitness studios — a portfolio built well beyond match fees.
One detail sets him apart from everyone else here: he holds an honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, awarded in 2011, and is a qualified paratrooper. It is a distinction, not an income stream — but it explains why his public image carries a weight no pure endorsement deal can buy.
Status: IPL only (retired from India, 2020) · Wealth drivers: CSK, Seven brand, Garuda Aerospace, endorsements · Note: honorary Lt Col, Territorial Army
- Richest active player
Virat Kohli — about ₹1,050 crore
Kohli sits fourth on lifetime wealth but out-earns everyone here year to year, which is why he is the richest currently active Indian cricketer. He combines a top-tier BCCI retainer, a Royal Challengers Bengaluru salary, and one of the largest athlete endorsement books in the world, led by a landmark Puma deal.
He also owns the entrepreneurial layer: the One8 lifestyle label plus stakes in Chisel Fitness, Wrogn, Rage Coffee, and Digit Insurance. He appears near the top of most lists of the highest-paid cricketers globally, and he has narrowed his schedule without slowing his commercial pull — retiring from T20 Internationals in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025 while still playing ODIs and the IPL.
Status: active (ODIs, IPL) · Wealth drivers: Puma deal, RCB, BCCI contract, One8 · Note: India's top annual earner
- Second-tier leader
Virender Sehwag — about ₹350 crore
Sehwag opens a clear second tier, worth roughly a quarter of the "big four" but comfortably ahead of the rest of his generation. The gap is instructive: his aggressive 2000s batting made him a household name, but his wealth rests on what he built afterward, not auction fees.
He runs cricket academies, works widely as a commentator and TV pundit, and has turned a large, sharp-tongued social-media following into steady advertiser demand years after his last international innings.
Status: retired · Wealth drivers: cricket academies, commentary, social-media endorsements · Era: 2000s opener
- IPL-era earner
Yuvraj Singh — about ₹291 crore
Yuvraj's financial base was set at the auction table: at the 2015 IPL auction, Delhi Daredevils bought him for ₹16 crore, then the most expensive Indian buy in IPL history. Multiple big-money contracts across franchises stacked up before he retired.
He ranks above Gambhir on the strength of those peak auction paydays plus a diversified set of business investments. His public recovery from cancer, and the YouWeCan foundation he founded afterward, also deepened a fan and sponsor connection that has kept his commercial value alive since he left the international game.
Status: retired · Wealth drivers: record IPL fees, business investments, endorsements · Note: 2015 auction — ₹16 crore, then a record
- Third-career pivot
Gautam Gambhir — about ₹265 crore
Gambhir built his fortune on a long, productive IPL career, most notably captaining Kolkata Knight Riders to titles in 2012 and 2014. What separates him from the earners below is what came next: he served as a BJP Member of Parliament from 2019 to 2024, then was appointed India's men's head coach in July 2024.
That politics-then-coaching arc is unusual among cricketers on this list, and each stage added a distinct public profile and income stream on top of his playing-era earnings and ongoing endorsement deals.
Status: India head coach (2024–) · Wealth drivers: IPL career, coaching, past political role, endorsements · Note: 2x IPL-winning KKR captain
- Legacy compounder
Sunil Gavaskar — about ₹160–260 crore
Gavaskar is the reminder that playing wealth is a modern phenomenon: cricket in the 1970s and 80s simply did not pay like this, so his fortune was built almost entirely after he stopped batting. That is why his estimate spans a wide range rather than a single figure — his income is media-driven, not contract-driven.
Nearly five decades of commentary, brand associations, and status as one of the sport's most quoted voices explain the total. He sits above Raina and Rohit on accumulated legacy earnings, even though neither of them ever faced his problem of playing before the money arrived.
Status: retired, long-time broadcaster · Wealth drivers: commentary, media, endorsements · Era: pre-IPL superstar
- Franchise loyalist
Suresh Raina — about ₹215 crore
Raina's wealth is a franchise story more than an international one. His long CSK tenure made him one of the IPL's most consistent earners even though his India career never matched that output — a rare case where the club paydays clearly outweighed the country ones.
A loyal fan base and steady endorsement deals in dairy, sportswear, and consumer goods have held his commercial value up since retirement, keeping him just ahead of the modern captains and coaches below.
Status: retired · Wealth drivers: CSK earnings, endorsements · Note: IPL output outstripped his India career
- Record-breaking captain
Rohit Sharma — about ₹214 crore
Rohit combined a top BCCI central contract with more than a decade of Mumbai Indians salary and captaincy bonuses. His commercial value is anchored by hard records: he owns the individual highest score in ODI cricket at 264, and his IPL run tally is among the format's best.
Those numbers give sponsors a concrete story to sell, which is why he outranks equally decorated peers who lack a signature record. His calm, understated image translates cleanly into endorsements without the volatility that follows flashier stars.
Status: active/recent · Wealth drivers: BCCI contract, Mumbai Indians, endorsements · Record: 264, highest individual ODI score
- Substance over hype
Rahul Dravid — about ₹197 crore
"The Wall" earned on reputation rather than spectacle, and his finances mirror that: no single blockbuster payday, but a long, well-managed accumulation. His post-playing income came from coaching — including a tenure as India's head coach through the 2024 T20 World Cup win — commentary, and a smaller, carefully chosen set of endorsements.
He ranks a step below Rohit because he never carried the volume of consumer deals a modern white-ball star commands, a trade-off consistent with the low-key brand he built across his career.
Status: retired, former India head coach · Wealth drivers: coaching, commentary, endorsements · Note: succeeded as coach by Gambhir in 2024
- Pre-money legend
Kapil Dev — about ₹130–150 crore
India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain earned almost nothing like today's players during his career, and built his wealth afterward through commentary, business ventures, and enduring public stature. His era predates the IPL and the modern endorsement economy entirely.
That makes his placement notable: a net worth assembled almost wholly on legacy and media work, without a single franchise contract. He remains one of the most successful cricket captains in India's history, and that reputation still funds appearances and deals four decades on.
Status: retired, broadcaster/entrepreneur · Wealth drivers: commentary, business, legacy · Note: 1983 World Cup-winning captain
- Player and administrator
Sourav Ganguly — about ₹115–125 crore
Ganguly's total is the smallest here in absolute terms, but the context matters: he spent years running cricket rather than monetizing it. As a player-turned-administrator, he served as BCCI President from 2019 to 2022, a path most of the commercial earners above him never took.
Around that administrative work he kept steady media income and regional brand deals, especially in West Bengal, where his popularity has barely dimmed. Had he chased endorsements full-time instead of holding office, his figure would likely sit higher on this list.
Status: retired, former BCCI President · Wealth drivers: media work, endorsements, administration · Note: captain-era popularity in West Bengal
Reader interaction
Build your ranking
Drag the names into the order you think is right — or use the arrows — then submit to see how your list compares with everyone else's.
- Ajay Jadeja — about ₹1,450 crore
- Sachin Tendulkar — about ₹1,400 crore
- MS Dhoni — about ₹1,060 crore
- Virat Kohli — about ₹1,050 crore
- Virender Sehwag — about ₹350 crore
- Yuvraj Singh — about ₹291 crore
- Gautam Gambhir — about ₹265 crore
- Sunil Gavaskar — about ₹160–260 crore
- Suresh Raina — about ₹215 crore
- Rohit Sharma — about ₹214 crore
- Rahul Dravid — about ₹197 crore
- Kapil Dev — about ₹130–150 crore
- Sourav Ganguly — about ₹115–125 crore
Audience ranking
How everyone ranked them
Built from reader rankings using position-based points.
Indian cricket money follows a pattern the top of this list makes obvious: playing salary is only the starting point. Sachin Tendulkar retired in 2013, yet his wealth has grown every year since. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli turned national-team careers into commercial operations that outlasted — or, in Kohli’s case, now run parallel to — their time on the field. The ranked cards above give each figure and the reason behind it; the sections below explain how we built the order and what to watch when the numbers shift.
How We Ranked Them
This list combines multiple public net-worth estimates for each player, converts them to a common basis, and cross-checks them against reported income sources: playing contracts, IPL earnings, endorsement deals, business stakes, and post-career media or commentary income. Where sources disagreed, we used a midpoint or a range — which is why several entries show a spread rather than a single figure.
We rank by total net worth, not cricket earnings alone. That single choice explains the most debated result: Ajay Jadeja sits first because of a royal inheritance, not his bat. On wealth built through cricket, Tendulkar leads. Net-worth estimates for private individuals are inherently approximate and vary between publications, so treat the ranking as directional, and expect everything below the top four to move year to year as sponsorships and ventures evolve.
Why Indian Cricketers Earn So Much
Four forces combine to push India’s top cricketers past almost every other athlete in the country:
- BCCI central contracts. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricket board on earth, and it pays accordingly.
- IPL fees. The auction system produces very large paydays, especially for Indian players franchises fight to retain.
- Endorsement demand. With well over a billion potential consumers, Indian brands pay a premium to attach themselves to cricket’s biggest names.
- Post-career income. Retired stars keep earning through commentary, brand deals, events, and business stakes — the reason names like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev appear at all.
That commercial base is why cricket’s earners dwarf even the richest Indian footballers, and why the same handful of Indians top the richest cricketers in the world list globally.
Cricket Wealth vs. Total Wealth
The clearest way to read this list is to separate money earned from cricket from money a player simply has. The two produce different orders at the top.
| Player | 2026 net worth (est.) | Primary wealth source | Chiefly from cricket? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajay Jadeja | ~₹1,450 crore | Royal inheritance, real estate | No |
| Sachin Tendulkar | ~₹1,400 crore | Endorsements, Mumbai Indians stake | Yes |
| MS Dhoni | ~₹1,060 crore | CSK, businesses, brand deals | Yes |
| Virat Kohli | ~₹1,050 crore | Endorsements, RCB, BCCI contract | Yes |
| Sunil Gavaskar | ~₹160–260 crore | Commentary, media | Post-career |
| Kapil Dev | ~₹130–150 crore | Commentary, business, legacy | Post-career |
Read cricket-first, Tendulkar tops the table and Jadeja drops out of contention. Read the balance sheet alone, Jadeja edges ahead. Both are true; they just answer different questions.
What Moves These Rankings
The order below the top four is the volatile part. A single IPL mega-auction, a marquee endorsement renewal, or a new business exit can swing a mid-table figure by tens of crores. Active players — Kohli and Rohit Sharma especially — can climb as deals compound, while legacy earners like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev tend to hold steady on media income.
The top of the list is stickier. Tendulkar’s brand equity is decades deep, and Jadeja’s inheritance is a one-time step-change, so neither is likely to be displaced soon. For the wider historical context behind these names, our roundup of the greatest cricketers of all time covers the on-field records that first made them bankable.
Frequently asked questions
How are these net worth figures calculated, and how reliable are they?+
They are estimates, not audited disclosures. Compilers total known endorsements, salaries, franchise or business equity, and property, then apply assumptions about undisclosed income. Because contracts are private and investments move, the same player appears with different totals across sites — which is why several entries here show a range. Treat every number as an approximate that shifts with each IPL auction and endorsement cycle rather than a verified figure.
Why does a retired 1990s player like Ajay Jadeja rank above Sachin Tendulkar?+
Because this list ranks total net worth, and Jadeja's is inflated by a Jamnagar royal inheritance he received in 2024, not by cricket. His playing career — 15 Tests and 196 ODIs — and commentary work would place him far lower on their own. On wealth built through the game itself, Tendulkar leads. We flag Jadeja as an inheritance outlier for exactly this reason.
Who is the richest currently active Indian cricketer?+
Virat Kohli, comfortably. He out-earns every Indian cricketer year to year through a BCCI retainer, his RCB salary, and one of the largest endorsement portfolios in world sport. He has trimmed his schedule — retiring from T20 Internationals in 2024 and Tests in 2025 — but still plays ODIs and the IPL, and remains India's top annual earner. Rohit Sharma is the next-highest active name.
How much of this wealth comes from the IPL versus international cricket?+
For most modern names on this list, the IPL is the bigger driver. Franchise salaries, captaincy bonuses, and record auction fees — Yuvraj Singh's ₹16 crore in 2015, for one — can rival or beat a full year of international earnings. BCCI central contracts add steady year-round income, but the IPL's concentrated payouts reshaped how quickly Indian players accumulate wealth.
Do any Indian women cricketers appear on a list like this?+
Not yet at these levels. Pay and endorsement values in women's cricket have climbed sharply since the Women's Premier League launched, and top India players now sign meaningful brand deals. But the leading figures remain well below the men's totals shown here, a gap driven by decades of broadcast and sponsorship history rather than by talent or on-field achievement.
How do these figures compare to other rich Indian athletes?+
Cricketers dominate. The commercial gap over other Indian sports is wide — the IPL's audience and sponsorship base dwarfs the ISL's, so cricket's top earners far outpace the [richest Indian footballers](/richest-indian-footballers/). Globally, several names here also rank among the [richest cricketers in the world](/richest-cricketers-in-the-world/), where Tendulkar, Dhoni, and Kohli occupy the top three spots on total net worth.
Sources
Play & tools
Free browser games and tools — no account, no download.
- Play today's Sports Connections — Today's Sports Connections — daily hints, answers, and play the grid.
- Play Guess the NFL Player — A new mystery NFL player every day. Eight guesses, with a clue on each — plus free unlimited mode.
- Explore all our games →
Related cricket guides
View all →
Richest NBA Players Ranked (2026): Net Worth of the Top 12
The 12 richest NBA players ever, ranked by 2026 net worth — from Michael Jordan's Jordan Brand fortune to Magic Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, and LeBron James.
Richest Athletes of All Time by Net Worth
Michael Jordan leads the richest athletes of all time at nearly $4 billion, ahead of tennis tycoon Ion Tiriac, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Tiger Woods.
Richest Soccer Players by Net Worth
Cristiano Ronaldo is the richest soccer player ever, worth a reported $1 billion. The full net-worth list, and why it differs from salary.
Hardik Pandya Net Worth: Cricket Earnings & Wealth Explained
Hardik Pandya is among the highest-earning Indian cricketers, with income from IPL and BCCI contracts, brand endorsements, and franchise ownership.
Highest Score in Test Cricket by an Indian Player
The highest Test score by an Indian is Virender Sehwag's 319 against South Africa in Chennai, 2008. See the top innings by India's batters here.
Richest Golfers in the World: Net Worth Ranked
Tiger Woods is the richest golfer, reported as golf's first billionaire. Net-worth table of Palmer, Nicklaus, Norman and Mickelson, figures as estimates.