Forbes has declared Virat Kohli the highest-earning sportsperson in India.
The India captain, who enjoyed a brilliant year on the field, more than doubled his 2017 earnings of Rs 100.72 crore, banking a sizeable Rs 228.09 crore in 2018.
The 30-year-old has benefitted from multiple salary streams – his BCCI central contract and his IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore – and various commercial contracts. Off the pitch – his advertising deals in particular – have boomed over the past year.
Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the first Test versus England at Edgbaston
Kohli sits in second place on the list of celebrity high-earners, with Bollywood star Salman Khan topping the list.
Following Kohli in India’s sports celebrity wealth rankings is former captain MS Dhoni, while Sachin Tendulkar continues to reside in the top three despite retiring five years ago.
Hard-hitting opener Rohit Sharma (Rs 31.49 crore) and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (Rs 28.46 crore) sit in 23rd and 27th place respectively.
India international Manish Pandey (77th place: Rs 13.08 crore) and Jasprit Bumrah (60th; Rs 16.42 crore) sneaked into the overall celebrity list for the first time.
