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Virat Kohli is the world’s highest-paid cricketer – Forbes

by Wisden Staff 1 minute read

Virat Kohli’s status as the most marketable cricketer in the world was highlighted again when the Forbes list of the highest paid athletes had Kohli at No.83.

Kohli is the only cricketer to feature in the list, with his earnings estimated at $24 million. Of this, around $20 million is from endorsements and the remainder from his salary, paid by the BCCI and Royal Challengers Bangalore, his IPL team.

The Indian captain has moved up from No.89 last year in the chart headed by Floyd Mayweather Jr, the American boxer.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr is the richest sportsperson in the world

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr is the richest sportsperson in the world

Amazingly, Mayweather, who has fought just once since September 2015 – in August 2017 – earned an estimated $285 million, much more than double the No.2 on the list, Lionel Messi, the Argentina and Barcelona footballer. Messi’s earnings were put at around $111 million.

Behind Messi on the list are Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor, and Neymar, the Brazilian footballer.

Not a single female athlete figures in the top 100.

 

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