Over the years the game has evolved in various aspects and one of them is the change in the salary structure of different cricket authorities. The professionalism of the sport has reached a new level. Now with the advent of T20 leagues, it has become necessary that the stars are provided with a proper share of the profit earned by the cricket boards in order to maintain harmony.
With cricket having such massive popularity, many nations have tons of aspiring cricketers. However, only the extraordinary ones play at the highest level and earn global recognition. The fame and success also enhance the bank balance of these cricket stars. A renowned cricketer has multiple sources of income like salaries from the national board, franchise cricket, brand endorsements, etc.
Since the last decade, most of the players earn a lot of money from the commercial world. Among them, the established ones get lucrative deals but the newbies are solely dependent on the central contracts. Here is the list of 8 highest-paid Cricket player in the year 2021.
Virat Kohli
The poster boy of world cricket, Virat Kohli had to top this list. It has been nearly 13 years since Kohli made his debut in international cricket but his end is not anyway near. The right-handed batsman has piled up a mountain of runs so far, and his knack of making and breaking records has given nightmares to many bowling line-ups.
Making his debut in August 2008, Kohli didn’t take long in cementing his place in the national team. Many had backed him to achieve great heights but what Kohli went onto attained was certainly beyond expectations. The more he scores, the more his appetite to score more increases. This inspired the Delhi-born cricket to rewrite the record books. At 32, Kohli has 70 international centuries under his belt. He’s also the front-runner to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international tons. Needless to say, his prowess over the 22 yards earned Kohli billions. As of 2021, the Indian skipper is paid around INR 208.56 crore per year.
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni bid adieu to international cricket after the 2019 World Cup but this doesn’t stop him from bagging money for his prowess. The talismanic wicketkeeper-batsman is arguably the greatest Indian cricketer ever and his record speaks volumes of his prowess. Dhoni has tormented many potent bowlers with his massive hits and his précised glovework never allows batters to breathe easy.
However, it’s his sharp cricket brain that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Dhoni’s cool and calm mind helps him in taking perfect on-field decisions. On many occasions, in fact, the wicket-keeper took such decisions which initially raised eyebrows but eventually proved to be spot on. A player of this caliber is as precious as anything. Speaking of his salary, the Chennai Super Kings captain earns a whopping INR 108.28 crore per year. Aging 40, it would be interesting to see how far he goes.
Rohit Sharma
Fondly Known as Hitman, Rohit Sharma is arguably the best opener at the moment and his record across formats speaks volumes of his prowess. The Nagpur-born batter wasn’t an opener from his childhood days but instead was made on. He started opening for India since the 2013 Champions Trophy and what happened next is hidden from none. Batting at the top-order brought the best out of Rohit Sharma as the dasher played one staggering knock after another. The batsman whose temperament was questioned now became popular for scoring daddy hundreds. In fact, he is the only player to date to smash three ODI double centuries and four T20I centuries. Away from cricket, Rohit is also known to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle all thanks to his annual income of INR 74.49 crore.
Ben Stokes
From one star all-rounder, we go to another as we welcome Ben Stokes on this list. The southpaw’s cricket journey is indeed a perfect recipe for a Hollywood blockbuster. Stokes’ all-round abilities didn’t take him long to earn global recognition. However, the dasher’s aggressive behavior came under the scanner on many occasions. Furthermore, failing to defend 19 runs in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup earned him massive criticism. However, this didn’t dent Stokes’ confidence as he emerged as a world-beater. With one magnificent performance after another, Stokes guided England and his franchise teams to many sensational wins. Speaking of his annual income, Stokes takes away around INR 60 crore with his brilliance.
Hardik Pandya
Pandya’s international debut in 2016 somewhat ended India’s quest for a quality fast-bowling all-rounder. This superstar from Baroda can give the ball a real whack and many potent bowlers have become victims of his brilliance. Smashing hat-trick of sixes is some of the many things Hardik Pandya is known for. The dasher has now been evolved into a calculated finisher which is not a great piece of news for bowlers. Apart from this, Pandya is also a more than handy right-arm pacer. He might not see but the fast bowler can indeed clock good speeds and his natural out-swingers have challenged many batters. With time, the youngster has also learned several variations to enhance his effectiveness. Coming to his annual salary, the Mumbai Indians star earns around INR 59.59 crore per year.
