The introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought a revolution in Indian cricket. Apart from the standard of the game, it has been a big boon to BCCI. Not just the board, the players have also made huge financial gains from the most renowned T20 league across the globe.
Most recently, the Sourav Ganguly-led body earned a staggering 4000 crore from staging IPL. The tournament took place in the UAE during the increasing COVID-19 cases in India with Mumbai Indians defending their title. The Indian players have been the biggest beneficiaries. Not millions, a number of players have earned in billions by plying their trade in the T20 league over the last 13 years.
Not just Indians, the foreign players have drawn fat paycheques. The likes of Pat Cummins, Ben Stokes, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Andrew Flintoff, and many others have earned millions by participating in the tournament.
Here is the list of IPL billionaires
Meanwhile, talking about paycheques and earnings, Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is the biggest gainer. So far, the veteran wicket-keeper batsman has drawn an income of over Rs 137 crore from IPL. This amount only includes the money that he has earned in form of salary. Should we add the match fee, reward money, and other amounts, the figure can go well and above the 150-crore mark.
Following Dhoni on the list of highest gainers is Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma. The swashbuckling batsman has drawn a salary of over Rs 131 crore. He has been with Mumbai Indians since 2011 and has led them to five title victories in just 8 seasons as captain. Rohit has a yearly salary of Rs 15 crore.
Also Read: 5 Cricketers Who Coached The Same Team They Once Played For In IPL
On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who holds the record of being the highest earner in a single season of the cash-rich league, has earned over Rs 126 crore. Since Kohli had a salary of Rs 20 lakh per year in the first three seasons, he sits the third spot. He is now the highest-paid player in Indian cricket. In IPL, he has a salary of Rs 17 crore in a single season.
Mr IPL – Suresh Raina, who plies his trade for Chennai Super Kings sits fourth in the list of highest earners. The southpaw has earned a lumpsum of Rs 99.7 crore. Incidentally, if Raina didn’t skipper IPL 2020 due to personal reasons, he would have been IPL’s fourth billionaire.
In total, a total of six players have earned over Rs 90 crore in IPL. Former IPL teammates Gautam Gambhir and AB de Villiers are the other two players who have drawn over Rs 90 crore.