Already one of the most popular sports in the world, cricket has also transformed into one of the richest sports in the world.
With cricketers enjoying the status that is usually reserved for actors, they are today much more than just sports personalities. With lucrative sponsorship deals along with their general salaries, cricketers are slowly evolving into some of the highest paid athletes in the world.
Although there is a long way to go before they become the highest paid athletes outright, here we look at the richest cricketers in the world—both active and retired—today.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
National Team – India
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$170 Million
Regarded as the greatest batter ever to have played the game, the Master Blaster has scored heavily both on and off the pitch.
Aside from his numerous mind-boggling records on the pitch, which include him having most runs in a career and being the highest run-getter in both Tests and ODIs, Tendulkar has also endorsed some of the biggest brands throughout his 24-year career.
With brands like BMW, Pepsi, Adidas, Philips, Canon, Coca-Cola, VISA, Britannia and many others having had the luxury to call him their brand ambassador, even eight years after his retirement, Tendulkar remains a brand magnet.
2. MS Dhoni
National Team – India
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$111 Million
India’s most successful white-ball captain with two World Cups (T20I in 2007, ODI in 2011) and a Champions Trophy (2013) under his belt, there aren’t many who can question the legacy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Having led India to victory in the inaugural T20I World Cup in 2007, Dhoni scaled further heights when under his captaincy Team India lifted the ODI World Cup in 2011 on home soil. Success followed the former Indian captain as he secured the 2013 Champions Trophy as well.
Along with international accolades, Dhoni’s trophy cabinet also boasts multiple IPL trophies, which is why he is regarded as one of the smartest cricketers to have ever played the game.
Known for his destructive batting, sharp skills behind the wickets, shrewd captaincy and ice-cool demeanour, Dhoni has endorsed brands such as Lay’s, Gulf Oil, Reebok, Colgate and McDowell’s amongst many others during his playing days and still continues to do so.
He might be retired from international cricket, but that doesn’t slow down the MSD brand.
Also Read – 10 Defining Moments of Dhoni’s Career
3. Virat Kohli
National Team – India
International Playing Status – Active
Net Worth – US$92 Million
A modern day great, Virat Kohli is one of the most marketable cricketers on the planet right now. Aside from his tremendous on-field skill, Kohli is also one of the most followed celebrities online.
The Indian captain is not just a cricketer, he is a brand himself, and with endorsements with Pepsi, Google, Hero Moto Corp, MRF and Tissot, Kohli is a darling of companies worldwide.
4. Ricky Ponting
National Team – Australia
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$70 Million
One of Australia’s most successful captains, who led the Aussies to two consecutive ODI World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007, Ricky Ponting was one of the most dominant leaders in his days.
Men’s cricket in the early 2000s was dominated by the Australian team, and at the centre of it all was Ricky Ponting. He is one of the most decorated Australian cricketers and despite having retired almost a decade ago is still involved in the game, currently serving as the head coach of Indian Premier League side, the Delhi Capitals.
Having endorsed brands such as Valvoline, Adidas and Rexona amongst others, Ponting remains one of Australia’s most marketable athletes.
5. Brian Lara
National Team – The West Indies (Lara’s nationality – Trinidadian)
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$60 Million
Along with Tendulkar, it was Brian Lara who dominated the bowlers from the mid ’90s to the early 2000s. Having captained his national side and having amassed an incredible 21,000 runs in international cricket, Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score in Tests (400*).
The former West Indies captain not only attracted fans on the pitch but attracted brands off it as well.
6. Shane Warne
National Team – Australia
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$50 Million
Known as the ‘King of Spin’, there aren’t many who could get the better of Warne on the pitch. Regarded as one of the finest bowlers in the sport, Warne’s incredible international record of over 1000 wickets showcases just why the Australian leg spinner was so highly regarded.
Even though he retired from all forms of the game in 2013, Warne is still a marketable cricketer with multiple brands such as Pepsi, McDonald’s and Victoria Bitter having deals with the Australian legend.
7. Jacques Kallis
National Team – South Africa
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$48 Million
A South African legend, Jacques Kallis is often regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders of the game. With over 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both ODIs and Tests, one can’t really argue with that fact.
One of the pillars of modern-day South African cricket, Kallis ended his 18-year career in 2013, finishing as the third-highest run scorer in Tests behind Tendulkar and Ponting.
Post his playing days, Kallis has also been involved in coaching, having served as the head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2016 to 2019.
8. Virender Sehwag
National Team – India
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$40 Million
One of the most destructive batters of the game, Virender Sehwag was India’s opening batter for the most of his playing career.
Apart from his destructive batting, Sehwag was a handy off-spinner and served as a mainstay of the Indian cricket team in the first decade of the 2000s. He was the first Indian to score a triple century in a Test match and is one of only two batters to have scored a double hundred in an ODI match and multiple triple hundreds in Tests.
Following his retirement in 2013, Sehwag has served as a pundit and a commentator and has enjoyed a significant brand presence over the years. Deals with Samsung, Boost, Reebok and Adidas amongst others have helped Sehwag remain as one of the most marketable cricketers in the country long after his retirement.
9. Yuvraj Singh
National Team – India
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$35 Million
Arguably India’s biggest match-winner, Yuvraj Singh played a significant role in two of the three World Cups won by Team India. After having a stellar 2007 T20I World Cup, Singh was instrumental in India lifting the 2011 ODI World Cup as well. Finishing the tournament as the Player of the Tournament, what made the achievement more remarkable was the fact that Singh performed at the highest level while fighting cancer.
A true warrior, Singh is regarded as one of India’s finest white-ball cricketers, who along with Mohammed Kaif in the early 2000s revolutionised the country’s take on fielding, making it an important factor of the game.
Singh’s flamboyant charisma makes him a brand favourite, and with endorsements with LG, Puma, Pepsi, Rebook and many others, Yuvi, even after his retirement, remains a favourite with the fans and brands alike.
10. Shane Watson
National Team – Australia
International Playing Status – Retired
Net Worth – US$30 Million
An Australian great, Shane Watson was one of the finest all-rounders from Down Under in the modern era.
A hard-hitting opening batter and a more-than-handy medium-pace bowler, Watson was a member of the dominant Australian team of the early 2000s.
Between 2011 and 2015, Forbes reported that Watson was the highest-paid non-Indian cricketer in the world. Aside from his stellar international record, Watson has been a T20 franchise giant as well, having represented numerous teams across the world to remarkable effect.
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