It is no secret that some of the top Indian cricketers have massive pay grades. Their earnings are from various sources. There are some Indian cricketers who are even amongst the highest tax-paying celebrities in the country.
The Indian cricketers get big money from the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) for representing the nation throughout the year along with getting massive pay cheques from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Apart from their cricketing deals, the cricketers are also involved in multiple deals and brand endorsements.
According to a report on Fortune India, none other than Virat Kohli is at the top of the charts among cricketers who’ve paid the most tax. The former India captain paid a whopping ₹66 crore in tax in FY 2023-24. Kohli is not just the highest tax-paying Indian cricketer but also at the top among sportspersons in the country. His net worth allegedly stands at ₹1,000 crore.
MS Dhoni is second on the list but he is well behind Kohli. His earnings from the BCCI have stopped as he retired from international cricket back in 2020. But he still plays the IPL and is involved in multiple big brand endorsements. Dhoni paid a tax of ₹38 crore in FY24. The Ranchi-born cricketer’s net worth is estimated to be around ₹1,200 crore.
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly are third and fourth respectively
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly who have retired a long time ago still find themselves high on this list. Despite retiring from the game more than a decade ago, Tendulkar is still one of the most popular names in the cricketing fraternity and all around the world. He has various endorsement deals and investments along with his role as a mentor with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. Tendulkar has also been involved in various NGOs and charities. Hence, he is currently third on the list of Indian cricketers who have paid the most tax. He paid a staggering amount of ₹28 crore in taxes.
₹23 crore is the amount of tax that Ganguly paid in the last financial year. He is currently the Director of Cricket for all teams owned by JSW Sports which includes both men’s and women’s teams of Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL along with the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20. He is involved with multiple brands as well and has quite a few businesses.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant are next on the list with tax contributions of ₹13 crore and ₹10 crore respectively. Both cricketers are global superstars and are key members of the Indian team. They have big values in the IPL as well. Ajinkya Rahane (₹8 crore), Jasprit Bumrah (₹7 crore), Shikhar Dhawan (₹6 crore) and KL Rahul (₹5 crore) round up the list. Surprisingly, Rohit Sharma’s name is absent from the top 10 list.
