Who is the highest earning cricketer in 2025?

An Indian cricketer is the highest earning cricketer in the world in 2025.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the richest cricket board in the world. Therefore, many Indian players are also among the highest-paid cricketers. As per BCCI central contracts, players in the top A+ grade category earn INR 7 crore annually, while the minimum salary is INR 1 crore.

Indian Premier League (IPL) is also a major source of income for Indian players; however, the franchises in the tournament also pays hefty amounts to foreign players. For instance, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana grabbed INR 25.20 crore and INR 18 crore respectively in the IPL 2026 auction. Both players were bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Moreover, even uncapped players often steal whopping amounts in IPL auctions. This time, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer came to the spotlight by getting IPL contracts worth INR 14.20 crore from Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Additionally, many Indian players were retained for a huge price by their respective franchises.

Virat Kohli is the highest earning cricketer in 2025

Indian batting legend Virat Kohli is the highest earning cricketer in the world in 2025, with his estimated earnings ranging between INR 250 crore and INR 300 crore, according to a report by PTI. Kohli was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for INR 21 crore, while he also earned INR 7 crore from the BCCI central contract. Moreover, he earned substantial revenue from various brand endorsements and his business ventures.

Meanwhile, 2025 was a memorable year for Kohli, where he rocked with his performances in IPL, international, as well as domestic cricket. In May, he announced his retirement from test cricket, and later finished as the highest run-scorer for RCB in IPL 2025 in June. His team won their maiden title in the tournament, fulfilling his long-term dream of winning an IPL trophy.

He rocked with his performance in the recent ODI series against South Africa, smacking two centuries and one fifty across three games to win the Player of the Series award. Playing for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 recently, he made a mark by smacking a century and a half-century in the first two games.

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