Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Cricket has become a billion-dollar industry, and with that comes big paychecks for the players. While the pool of top earners includes players from various teams and countries. Let’s have a look at some of the highest-paid cricketers.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: MS. Dhoni
Top 10 Highest-Paid Cricketers: The former Indian national team captain is the highest-paid cricketer in the world. With salary, endorsements, and other earnings, Dhoni’s estimated net worth is $200 million. He earns $30 million yearly from endorsements alone—more than double any other cricketer for that same period.
Not only does Dhoni top the list of highest-paid cricketers overall, but he’s also the highest-paid Indian cricketer in history. This feat is even more impressive when you consider that cricket has only been a professional sport since 2004.
So while many cricketers are earning impressive salaries these days, it’s clear that MS Dhoni continues to be an extraordinary money-maker in the sport and sets a high standard for other cricket athletes to pursue.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is without a doubt India’s most popular cricketer, and his earnings reflect that. According to Forbes, he makes approximately $20 million per year from endorsements alone. That’s more than what any Indian cricketer has ever made in a single year. In addition to all his endorsements, he also earns an estimated $2 million from salary and match fees. That is a total of $32 million in earnings per year.
Top Highest Paid Cricketer: Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes is an English cricketer who recently made it to the top 10 highest-paid cricketers. In 2020, he earned a whooping ₹14 crore, which makes him the most valued England cricketer.
Not only does Stokes have a great record, but he’s also immensely popular in terms of his on-field performance and media presence. He is one of the few cricketers who have a strong fan base throughout the world.
Domestic and International Records
Stokes has had remarkable performances globally. He won the 2019 Cricket globe Cup and contributed to England’s Test victory over Australia in 2019, which elevated them to the top-ranked Test team in the globe.
Endorsements
Apart from cricket earnings, Stokes earned an impressive amount through sponsorships and endorsements with major brands like New Balance and Gulbis Sports. Many see him as an iconic cricketer, so it’s not surprising that he was featured in prominent publications such as GQ India and The Guardian early in his career.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Hashim Amla
You probably know Hashim Amla, South Africa’s leader in terms of earnings. He’s fourth in the top 10 highest-paid cricketers list with an estimated annual salary of nearly $123,220.
Amla has been a reliable presence in the South African cricket team since his debut in 2004 and has achieved extraordinary success. He is the fastest batsman in world cricket to score centuries in all three formats, and he also holds records for scoring the most centuries, double hundreds, and half-centuries across all three formats.
The 35-year-old South African has enjoyed great success at the highest level of international cricket. In 2008, he became the first South African (and second cricketer of Indian descent) to score a triple century in Tests, and later he was appointed as South Africa’s T20I captain for its tour of India in 2015.
These reasons have led him to become one of the most attractive players for sponsorships from big brands like Adidas, MRF, and New Balance. His estimated net worth is around $50 million as of 2022 and he certainly deserves it!
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: David Warner
You might not know this, but David Warner is currently the sixth highest-paid cricketer in the world. He has an estimated net worth of USD 30 million, and earned at least ₹2 crores per annum thanks to his India Premier League (IPL) contracts and international cricket salaries.
And here’s a quick rundown of David Warner’s salaries:
- IPL salary: Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired David for a whopping sum of ₹5 crores for the 2020 season.DC acquired him in IPL 2023 for 6.25 Crore.
- Team Australia salaries: In 2017, he was awarded a central contract by Cricket Australia which saw his annual pay packet increase up to A$1.8m including match fees and bonuses.
- Endorsements: While details are scant, it’s believed that he also earns additional income through various endorsements including Adidas and Sunrise Australian Juice, plus some other deals outside of cricket such as a collaboration with an Australian technology company called Switchit.
So there you have it—David Warner is one of the highest-paid cricketers around today, thanks to his salary income from playing in the IPL and for Team Australia, plus endorsements from top brands.
Top Highest Paid Cricketer: AB De Villiers
You might have heard of him: AB de Villiers is one of the top 10 highest-paid cricketers in the world.
AB de Villiers has earned millions playing cricket over the years and is currently ranked #7 amongst the world’s highest-paid cricketers. He has an impressive portfolio that includes lucrative endorsement deals with the global sports brand, Nike.
He has signature bats, protective gear, and a clothing line that is marketed toward kids. His substantial earnings come from his base salary from Royal Challengers Bangalore, his endorsements, and even his image rights.
In 2019, his total earnings stood at $4 million as reported by Forbes magazine. This amount included $2 million in base salary from IPL, $1.5 million in endorsements, and $500,000 for image rights payments.
It’s no surprise AB de Villiers has achieved such high recognition in the cricketing world. His impressive pay packet proves that he’s doing something right.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Lasith Malinga
One of the world’s premier bowlers and eighth on this list of the top 10 highest-paid cricketers is Lasith Malinga. His ability to bowl yorkers, fast, accurate, and full of variation has earned him a lot of success. He has taken 434 wickets in his 282 ODI appearances and 28 wickets in his 30 T20I appearances.
Not only that, but he has been captain of the Sri Lankan team for some time and has won several awards as well. He reportedly earns $2 million a year, including salary from contracts, brand endorsements, and other promotional activities. He is also well known for his philanthropy work, donating to schools, and welfare work in Sri Lanka.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Chris Gayle
Are you a fan of the T20 format? Then you probably have heard of Chris Gayle, for sure! He’s called the “King of T20” due to his incredible performances on the field and continues to remain a fan favorite.
It comes as no surprise then, that he is one of the highest-earning players in cricket. According to Forbes magazine, his estimated annual earnings in 2022 were $1.3 million, with an additional endorsement income of $1.3 million.
Gayle’s performance on the field is consistently outstanding but it was his aggressive stroke play that made him so popular amongst fans. He holds many records in the game, including being the first batsman to score a double century in ODI and T20 Internationals. He has also scored 175 runs off just 66 balls in an IPL match – one of the highest scores ever in T20 cricket!
Overall, he has played almost 400 international matches and has maintained an average batting score of between 40-50. Yet another impressive feat from this legendary cricketer.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Kane Williamson
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Kane Williamson has worked his way into the top 10 as captain of the New Zealand national team across all formats. He earned a reputation for his outstanding performances with Northern Districts which led to him making his one-day international debut with the Black Caps in 2010, followed by his test debut only three months later. In 2016, he was made captain and in 2022, under Williamson’s leadership, the Black Caps had their first play in the West Indies in almost a decade. His net worth is 10 million.
Overall, it’s easy to see why he deserves his place among the top 10 highest-paid cricketers in the world. His dedication to cricket is unparalleled and he consistently showcases why fans across the globe continue to love him.
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Glenn Maxwell
Top 10 Highest Paid Cricketers: Last, but certainly not least, is the one and only, Glenn Maxwell. Known as ‘The Big Show’, he’s the 10th highest paid cricketer in the world and has reportedly earned around $2 million in 2020 after being bought by Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.
