With cricket's growing popularity, it is obvious that the players who are a vital cog in the wheel have started to reap the benefits of their hard work. The highest paid cricketer is the one who makes the most of his diligence.
Being the second-most popular sport after football currently, cricket brings in huge rewards for its players. Though the pressure is enormous, the prize pool for cricketers is huge, to the extent that some of them are even the wealthiest athletes in the world.
Here's a look at who some of these highly paid cricketers are, as we present the top 10 highest-paid cricketers in the world in terms of their monthly salary and net worth.
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10. Kane Williamson
- Monthly salary: $37k
- Net worth: $10 million
New Zealand's white-ball captain, Kane Williamson, finds the 10th spot on the list. Well-liked for his ice-cool behaviour, Williamson is the present poster boy of New Zealand cricket, with his clutch performances adding to the consistency of the Black Caps in the ICC tournaments.
A prominent member of the Fab Four, Williamson made giant strides for the Kiwis the moment he stepped into international cricket. Although an injury has hurt his chances of making the New Zealand squad for the ODI World Cup 2023, Williamson's sheer determination and star power has made him the 10th highest paid cricketer in the world right now.
9. Kieron Pollard
- Monthly salary: $47k
- Net worth: $15 million
West Indies' Kieron Pollard has retired from international cricket. Still, a report from GQ Australia placed the all-rounder ninth on the list of the highest-paid cricketers.
Pollard's soaring wealth should come as no surprise. The 36-year-old became a household name after his entry in the Indian Premier League. Pollard then became more known, playing in numerous franchise leagues across the world. He is now captaining MI New York in Major League Cricket 2023.
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8. Temba Bavuma
- Monthly salary: $70k
- Net worth: $2.3 million
A surprise entrant in this list of the highest paid cricketers is South African ODI and Test skipper Temba Bavuma. As of February 2023, Bavuma was the eighth most significant figure in cricket in terms of monthly salary and net worth.
Since being stripped of the T20I captaincy, Bavuma has made it a point to prove himself and is running in red-hot form in both Test and ODI formats.
7. Kraigg Brathwaite
- Monthly salary: $80k
- Net worth: $9 million
Another interesting name is Kraigg Brathwaite, who occupies the seven spot in the list of the highest paid cricketers.
The Windies Test captain, since donning the captaincy hat in the longest format of the game, has been an influential leader, at least as a batter. In his recent exploits, the opener scored a gritty 235-ball 75 in the first innings of the recently concluded Test match against India.
6. Aaron Finch
- Monthly salary: $150k
- Net worth: $5.5 million
According to a GQ Australia report, Aaron Finch was positioned as the sixth highest paid cricketer. Even though Finch bid adieu to international cricket in 2023, the Aussie touched great heights in his tenure, both as a batter and a captain.
While Finch's stats speak volumes of his performance, his most recent success came in the leadership role, as captain Finch led Australia to their first-ever world title in T20 cricket in 2021.
5. Rohit Sharma
- Monthly salary: $170k
- Net worth: $25 million
There is no way Rohit Sharma could not have made this list. Being the Test and ODI captain of the sport's richest country, Rohit's name on the list of cricketers with big salaries is no surprise.
Despite India struggling to do well in tournaments and the Mumbai Indians also losing their mojo lately, ‘Hitman', as they call him, is still one of the best batters going around in international cricket at the moment.
4. Eoin Morgan
- Monthly salary: $320k
- Net worth: $15 million
Eoin Morgan, the architect of England's dominance in ODIs and T20Is in the last five years or so, is fourth on the list.
He is the man who led England to their first-ever ODI World Cup title. Captain Morgan oversaw a white-ball revolution as England became the team to beat under his tutelage. Despite now being retired, Morgan still reportedly pulls in a healthy pay cheque from his various cricketing involvements.
3. Joe Root
- Monthly salary: $400k
- Net worth: $3.3 million
The record shattering machine Joe Root is growing in terms of wealth too. Having scored the second most Test runs for England, Root has the highest monthly salary and net worth for an England cricketer.
Interestingly, the right-handed batter recently made his debut in the 16th season of the Indian Premier League while playing for the Rajasthan Royals.
2. Dean Elgar
- Monthly salary: $440k
- Net worth: $40 million
Dean Elgar? Really? Yes, he might be an amusing name to feature in the list of highest-paid cricketers. But, let me tell you what, Elgar has not only scored a century but has also hit the winning runs, if you understood the cricketing context of it.
Despite being axed as South Africa's Test captain, GQ Australia mentions Elgar as the second highest paid cricketer. Known for his pluck, Elgar is a sound Test opener of the Proteas.
1. Virat Kohli
- Monthly salary: $690k
- Net worth: $140 million
You probably scrolled down only for this. Although Virat Kohli's holding the numero uno spot in this list does not have a shock factor, his monthly salary and net worth are staggering.
As per a Sportico report, Kohli was ranked 61st on the list of highest paid athletes in 2022. Money aside, Kohli has built his brand out of cricket. Kohli, the creator of a rich league, now drives the cricket market, not only in India but around the world. A literal flag-bearer of world cricket, a man with a surreal persona, someone who feeds on creating history, Kohli sits at the top of all the other cricketers at present.
Debuting for India in 2008, Kohli had it all in him to become a world-beater. Soon after, he made it to India's World Cup squad in 2011 and lifted the trophy, his first at the international level.
Side by side, his IPL exploits for the Royal Challengers Bangalore were there to be noticed. The 2016 edition added another feather to his illustrious career, scoring four centuries and the most runs in a single season, which is still a record.
Barring his seven-year stint as India's Test captain, Kohli did not succeed as a leader in the other two formats. Still, the holder of 76 international centuries has steered India to the highest of heights, even without being a captain.
Notable mentions
1. Sachin Tendulkar
- Net worth: $170 million
The name that requires no introduction, the evergreen Sachin Tendulkar, is the richest cricketer in the world in terms of net worth.
A definition of a complete player, Tendulkar made great waves in his playing days and continues to do so even now as his international retirement nears a decade. ‘The Little Master' has scored the highest runs and the highest number of centuries in international cricket, and the record is still intact.
2. MS Dhoni
- Net worth: $127 million
Someone who is only in the news at the time of the IPL, someone who is not active on social media, someone who stays away from the limelight—MS Dhoni is one of a kind.
Having multiple brand endorsements under his belt, Captain Cool, just like his peak, is hitting out of the park here as well. He is the only captain in the world to win all three ICC trophies, excluding the World Test Championship hip final, which was not introduced until he retired.
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Still, the leader of the Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni, had repaid their full faith to the franchise, which made him the highest-bidder player in the inaugural IPL auction. Under his captaincy, the Super Kings have won five IPL titles; their latest one came in 2023.
