When we think of super-rich sports players, we always think of pro footballers, who are known for getting vast sums of money, But let’s not fool ourselves – the top cricketers aren’t exactly going hungry! There’s a lot of money in cricket – and it’s big business. As well as the huge amount of money that is spent in the world of cricket betting, especially in the UK, the money that passes hands during the IPL auction and other big-name events is incredible.
Here, we will look at the most expensive cricketers in the world, how much they earn and you can decide for yourself whether they are worth the money…
Virat Kohli – The Most Expensive Cricket Player in the World
It may not come as a surprise to many, but the biggest earner of all crickets across the globe is the Indian phenomenon and batter, Virat Kohli. According to sources, he earned a monthly salary of around US $690,000 every month. This puts him quite comfortably ahead of many others… and he is currently the most valuable player in the world.
Historically, cricket players weren’t on wages such as these. However, with the number (and popularity) of cricket tournaments growing all the time, this has led to a huge increase in the amount of money the top cricketers can command. People with big money are becoming involved in the sport – and this is being reflected in the monthly wage.
But, cricket players don’t only earn vast sums of money by playing in these franchised leagues, but they earn additional money from the cricket boards they represent. Then, of course, there are sponsorships and brand endorsements adding even more money to their bank balances… and the biggest names in the sport can earn some serious wedge.
Virat Kohli is one of the most famous names in cricket and, as such, he is hugely marketable – and is the sport’s most expensive player right now!
The Most Expensive Cricket Players in the World in 2023:
- Virat Kohli: India – earns approx $690,000 per month
- Dean Elgar: South Africa – earns approx $440,000 per month
- Joe Root: England – earns around $400,000 per month
- Eoin Morgan: England – earns around $320,000 per month
- Rohit Sharma: India – earns approximately $170,000 per month
- Aaron Finch: Australia – earns about $150,000 per month
- Kraigg Brathwaite: West Indies – earns around $80,000 per month
- Temba Bavuma: South Africa – earns approx $70,000 per month
- Kieron Pollard: West Indies – earns around $47,000 per month
- Kane Williamson: New Zealand – earns around $37,000 per month
The Top 3 Earners
Let’s take a closer look at the earnings of those top 3 earners…
Virat Kohli – $690,000 Per Month
As you can see, even between the highest earner and the cricketer in the number 10 spot, the difference is huge.
So, how does Kohli manage to out-earn his fellow players by such a lot? Well, firstly, Kohli is the leading run-scorer in the T20Is – and is one of just three Indian players (along with Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah) who can boast about his Grade A+ central contract from the BCCI – the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
In terms of money breakdown, he earns about $6,000 for a Test Match, $3,600 for an ODI and $1,800 for a T20 match. In addition, he also earns approximately $2.05 million per season playing for his IPL team, Team Bengaluru.
Dean Elgar – $440,000 Per Month
Quite a long way behind, we have Dean Elgar from South Africa, who earns a very respectable $440,000 per month. What makes this interesting is that he doesn’t really feature much in the monied cricketing leagues across the globe. His money comes almost solely from his contract with the South African cricket board.
Joe Root – $400,000 Per Month
In third spot is our very own cricket player, Joe Root, who earns a very respectable $400,000 per month. He may have stepped down as England’s Test Captain back in April 2022, but he still earns around $400,000 per month from the ECB as his base salary.
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