Sachin Tendulkar is usually named the richest cricketer in India, followed by MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. All the numbers online are estimates by media outlets, not audited figures, and they differ from one site to another. This page compares what several publications said, with source name and year, and is current as of October 2026.
Richest cricketers in India: estimates from published articles
| Cricketer | Estimated net worth | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | USD 170 million (about Rs 1,400 to 1,630 crore) | Business Today, Aug 2026; Adda247, 2026; Channeliam, Mar 2026 (over Rs 1,400 crore); WION, Jun 2025 (Rs 1,250 crore) |
| MS Dhoni | USD 127 million (Rs 1,000 to 1,215 crore) | Business Today, Aug 2026; Channeliam, Mar 2026 (above Rs 1,000 crore); WION, Jun 2025 (Rs 1,000 crore) |
| Virat Kohli | USD 125 million (some reports USD 126 to 127 million) | Business Today, Aug 2026; Channeliam, Mar 2026 (above Rs 1,000 crore); WION, Jun 2025 (Rs 1,050 crore) |
| Rohit Sharma | Rs 214 to 230 crore | Outlook Business, Sep 2023 (Rs 214 crore); WION, Jun 2025 (Rs 214 crore) and Aug 2025 (about Rs 230 crore) |
| Virender Sehwag | About USD 40 million | Adda247, 2026 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | About Rs 120 crore | Outlook Business, Nov 2025 (citing CricTracker) |
| KL Rahul | About Rs 101 crore (another figure on the same page: Rs 99 crore) | Sportskeeda, 2024 |
| Hardik Pandya | About Rs 98.25 crore | Man’s World India, May 2025 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | About Rs 60 crore | Man’s World India, Jan 2025 (citing Sportskeeda) |
Last checked October 2026. Rupee amounts depend on the dollar rate each site used. Business Today used USD 1 = Rs 95.24, but its own rupee figures did not match that rate exactly.
Ganguly and Dravid: figures to treat with extra caution
The best-known names after the top three are Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. The only figures we found were on lists that did not explain where their numbers came from, and their rankings did not follow their own figures. We show them for completeness but do not recommend quoting them.
| Cricketer | Figure given | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Sourav Ganguly | Rs 700 crore (labelled an estimate); WION list, undated: about USD 80 million | TheIndiaMoves, Sep 2025; ItsOnlyCricket, Jan 2023 |
| Rahul Dravid | Rs 320 crore (about USD 40 million) | TheIndiaMoves, Sep 2025 |
We did not find a Forbes, Economic Times, Hindustan Times or Business Standard article with a clear, dated figure for these players that our tools could open, so we have not used any figure we could not see. If you are quoting these, check the original publication.
Estimates vary widely
The gaps are big. Tendulkar appears as Rs 1,250 crore in one 2025 article and above Rs 1,600 crore in another 2026 one. Kohli and Dhoni swap places depending on the list. Even the same site can give slightly different numbers in different sections. The causes are simple: nobody publishes an audited net worth, writers use different dollar rates, and many articles do not explain their method or date.
Net worth is not annual earnings
Net worth is everything a person owns minus what they owe. Annual earnings only show one year of income. A young star can earn a lot in a year and still have a lower net worth than a legend who has been building assets for twenty years. That is why Tendulkar still tops lists while current stars like Bumrah or Hardik Pandya show far smaller numbers.
How the top earners make money
Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar retired from international cricket in 2013, but his wealth comes from decades of endorsements, investments, franchise ownership and media work that continue. One article lists brand endorsements, business investments and franchise co-ownership among his income sources.
MS Dhoni
Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020. Reports link his wealth to IPL earnings with Chennai Super Kings, endorsements, real estate and investments in sports, technology and fitness businesses.
Virat Kohli
Kohli’s income reportedly comes from his IPL contract, national-team pay, global endorsements and businesses such as the Wrogn and One8 brands.
Rohit Sharma, Jadeja, Rahul, Pandya and Bumrah
Their figures are much smaller than the top three, from about Rs 60 crore to Rs 230 crore in the articles above. Several of these articles are from lifestyle or sports sites rather than business publications, and the figures are not audited. Treat them as rough guides.
Current-year context (2026)
The most recent articles we found are Business Today (August 2026), Channeliam (March 2026) and Adda247 (2026). They all still place Tendulkar first, Dhoni second and Kohli third among Indians. Some of the other figures on this page are from 2023 to 2025, so they may be out of date. Players’ IPL contracts, endorsements and trades change every year, which is why recent articles often disagree with older ones.
Which source should you trust?
None of the articles we read explain how they calculated the figure. The best practice is to quote the number with the site name and year, and say “estimated”. If a question appears in an exam or quiz, the usual expected answer to “richest Indian cricketer” is Sachin Tendulkar.
Richest cricketers in the world vs India
The Business Today list also names overseas players such as Ricky Ponting (about USD 70 million) and Brian Lara (about USD 60 million). Indian players dominate the top of these lists mainly because of the size of the Indian sponsorship market and the IPL.
A note on Ajay Jadeja
A June 2025 WION article put Ajay Jadeja at the top with Rs 1,450 crore, but described it as an inheritance linked to the Jamnagar royal family, not a cricket earning. We have left him out of the table because it is a different kind of figure and the article gave no source.
Quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Richest Indian cricketer (media estimates) | Sachin Tendulkar |
| Richest active Indian cricketer | Virat Kohli, in the sources we checked |
| Are the numbers official? | No. They are media estimates |
| Last checked | October 2026 |
To sum up, Tendulkar, Dhoni and Kohli lead every list we found, but the exact amounts depend on the publication, the year and the exchange rate. Always note the source and year when you quote these estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is the richest cricketer in India?
Sachin Tendulkar, at around USD 170 million in 2026 media estimates. These are not audited.
Who is the richest active Indian cricketer?
Virat Kohli, at around USD 125 million in the sources we checked.
How much is MS Dhoni worth?
Media estimates put him at around USD 127 million, or above Rs 1,000 crore.
Why do net worth figures differ between websites?
Cricketers do not publish their finances, and sites use different methods, dates and exchange rates.
What is Rohit Sharma’s net worth?
Articles from 2023 to 2025 gave about Rs 214 to 230 crore. It is an estimate.
