After religion, it is sports which are taken very seriously in India but only when it comes to watching and making it a hobby.
People are still skeptical when it comes to sports as a career since there is a big risk factor involved in the sports industry.
But did you know sports is also one of the wealthiest profession out there? Here are the top 10 richest sportsperson in India.
List of Top 10 Richest Sportsperson in India
1. VIRAT KOHLI
Virat Kohli has become the only Indian in Forbes Top 100 Highest paid Athletes in the world ranking No.100 with a net worth of Rs.2.28 Billion.
Born on November 5, 1988, he made his international debut at the age of 19 in 2008 and served Indian Cricket team since then and currently he is the captain of Indian Cricket team.
His salary is approximately Rs. 270 million and in these years he has done several brand endorsements for well-known brands such as Audi, Puma, Manyavar, Uber, Wrogn, Too Yumm, Gionee, Colgate, Hero MotoCorp, American Tourister, Philips India, Sun Pharma, Vicks India, Royal Challenge alcohol, Redmi 2, Valvoline.
Estimated Networth of Virat Kohli is Around Rs.1.46 billion.
2. M S DHONI.
From being an active player to being one of the prominent faces in brand industry, M S Dhoni has aced it all!
M S Dhoni who was born on July 7, 1981, made his first international debut in 2004. Not only was he recipient to many top awards like Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award but also under his captaincy, India won ICC World Cup in 2007.
He is the second-highest-paid athlete and ranked No.5 on the Forbes Top 100 celebrities in India. Dhoni has his salary around Rs. 50 Million.
Till date, Dhoni has done more than 20 brand endorsements. And the estimated earning of all these endorsements is around Rs. 1.95 billion.
Apart from that he has earned around Rs. 300 million by releasing his own biopic and Rs. 150 Million in IPL Matches.
Estimated Networth of M S Dhoni is around Rs 1.01 Billion.
3. SACHIN TENDULKAR
Sachin Tendulkar aka Master Blaster is the only retired cricketer who has made in Forbes list of TOP 100 celebrities in India.
He is the third highest paid sportsperson and overall ranked No.9 in the Forbes list.
Born on April 24, 1973, Sachin was introduced to cricket at the age of 11 and within next 5 years i.e. at the age of 16, Sachin Tendulkar was the youngest test cricketer to make debut against Pakistan in Karachi.
This legendary cricketer has been doing brand endorsement almost more than a decade for brands like Boost, Pepsi, Aviva life insurance, Action shoes, MRF tyres, Adidas, Britannia, Fiat Palio, BPL, Toshiba, Philips, Rorito, Airtel, Apollo tyres, Castrol India, Ujala Techno Bright, Coca-Cola, Livpure, Luminous fan etc.
Estimated Networth of Sachin Tendulkar is around Rs 800 Million.
4. P V SINDHU
P V Sindhu is one of the most successful Indian professional badminton players.
She is the one after Saina Nehwal who won Olympics medal (Silver) and being silver medalist in BWF world championship for two consecutive years and silver medalist in Commonwealth Games 2018.
Born on July 5, 1995, today she is the top female highest paid athlete in India and ranked No. 20 in Forbes top 100 Celebrities in India.
Her net worth is around Rs. 365 million.
She has done several brand endorsements for brands such as Bridgestone India, Myntra, Bank of Baroda, Moov, Apis, Gatorade, Whisper, Panasonic etc.
Estimated Networth of P V Sindhu is around 365 Million.
5. ROHIT SHARMA
Born on April 30, 1987, Rohit made his debut in 2007 against Ireland.
He is currently the vice-captain of the Indian Cricket team and probably the only cricketer in Cricket history to hit five centuries in the single World Cup.
He is ranked No.23 in the Forbes Top 100 celebrities in India. His salary is around Rs. 70 million.
Rohit has done brand endorsements for several brands like Adidas, Maggi, Nissan, Fair and lovely, Relispray, Oppo, and Hublot.
His estimated earnings from IPL are around Rs. 150 million. He is ranked second in the list of top 10 earners in IPL.
Estimated Networth of Rohit Sharma is around 310 Million.
6. HARDIK PANDYA
Hardik Pandya is known to be the finest all rounder player of the Indian National Cricket team.
Born on October 11, 1993, Hardik Pandya’s only goal in his life was – to play for Indian Cricket team.
He dropped out school in class 9th and after that his only focus was getting better in cricket.
He never let setbacks and obstacles come between him and his dream. He made his first international debut in 2016 and today he is a part of Indian Cricket team.
His current net worth is around Rs. 280 million. He signed up with brands like Gulf oil, Zaggle, Sin Denim, EUME, Boat, and DFY for brand endorsement.
Estimated Networth of Hardik Pandya is around Rs. 110 Million.
7. RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN
Ravichandran Ashwin is the only Indian bowler apart from Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, to bowl the carrom ball.
Born on September 17, 1986, this amazing bowler made his first international debut in 2010, R Ashwin helped Indian Cricket team to win the World Cup in 2011.
R Ashwin also entered into Forbes Top 100 Celebrities in India.
You might have seen R Ashwin endorsing brands like Ramraj Linen and Moov.
Estimated Networth of R Ashwin is around Rs. 189 Million.
8. BHUVANESHWAR KUMAR
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, one of the fast bowlers of Indian Cricket team has made his way in the Forbes Top 100 Celebrities in India.
Born on February 5, 1990, at the age of 13 he started learning cricket. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was the first Indian bowler to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar for a duck in first-class cricket during the 2008-09 season of Ranji Trophy.
He made his debut in end of the year 2012.
He has done very few brand endorsements for brands like Asics, Nutramantra etc.
Bhuvaneshwar’s estimated earnings from IPL are to be around Rs. 85 million.
Estimated Networth of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is around Rs 170 Million.
9. SURESH RAINA
Suresh Raina is a versatile player of Indian National Cricket team.
Born on November 27, 1986, at the age of 19, Suresh Raina made his international debut against Sri Lanka in 2005.
And now his current net worth is around Rs. 169 million.
Suresh Raina has been seen endorsing several well known brands like HP Racer, Intex, Nerolac, Boost, Adidas, IPOL, CEAT, and Pepsi.
His annual income is approximate Rs. 120 million. His estimated earnings from IPL are around Rs. 110 million. He stands 5th in the list of top 10 earners in IPL.
Estimated Networth of Suresh Raina is around Rs 169 Million.
10. SAINA NEHWAL
After Sir Prakash Padukone, Saina Nehwal became the first Indian shuttler who still owned number one spot in World Badminton rankings.
She was born on March 17, 1990, and made her first international debut in 2003. She won a bronze medal in the Olympics held in London in 2012 and marked the greatest moment in the history of Indian sporting.
She is the second-highest-paid female athlete in India and ranked No.58 in Forbes Top 100 Celebrities in India.
She has done several brand endorsements for brands like Rasna, Flipkart, Edelweiss, Herbal life, Candid-B, Top Ramen and Vaseline. Her salary is approximate Rs. 21 million.
Estimated Networth of Saina Nehwal is around Rs 165 Million.
In Conclusion
After looking these sportsperson at the peak of their career, one thing is for sure – when you are passionate enough for your dream then no one can stop you from succeeding.
Just like other professions even sports can be a profitable career option. However, one needs to be skillful and need to excel and thrive in that field.