Ever since cricket became India's most-loved sport after the 1983 Cricket World Cup win, the financial prosperity of the country's most superior cricketers has never ceased to amaze the fans. Echoing this, WI cricketers' fortunes, apart from their salaries earned from international and domestic leagues, have risen high with the coming of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the year 2008. While the IPL made their earnings rise to an exponential level, the players themselves also became brands that attained major endorsement money.
According to a recent report, Virat Kohli leads the pack as the highest tax-paying Indian sportsperson for the financial year 2023-24, contributing a staggering Rs 66 crore to the government. Kohli's earnings, which stem from match fees, sponsorships, and business ventures, have cemented his place at the top of the list. He is followed by former captain MS Dhoni, who paid Rs 38 crore in taxes, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who paid Rs 28 crore, completing the top three cricketers in the list.
Others are Sourav Ganguly who contributed Rs. 23 crore to the state's exchequer on taxes, and the all-rounder, Hardik Pandya who contributed Rs. 13 crore in taxes. However, the Bollywood king khan Shah Rukh khan, the co-owner of the Indian premier league franchise Kolkata knight riders is in forefront paying Rs 92 crore in taxes for the FY 24 as overall celebrity taxpayer list.
The endorsement landscape and multi-crore sponsorships drive these stars' wealth, but their tax contributions highlight the financial impact of their success in cricket and beyond. As the earnings grow, so do the tax obligations, and these cricketing icons play a vital role in supporting the economy with their substantial tax contributions.
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