Virat Kolhi dominated Indian cricket much like he won the title of the highest-paying cricketer in the fiscal year 2023-2024, as Virat Kohli paid ₹66 crores tax to the Indian goverment. This huge tax contribution puts him not only at the top among sportspersons but also in the elite league of India’s highest taxpayers across all industries, just a notch below Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay kumar & Thalapathy Vijay.
As we move further along the circle of Kohli’s financial footprint in 2024, a comparison with that of 2023 gives out how the amassed wealth and contribution to taxes have shaped up. This, in no uncertain terms, elaborates not only upon the rising financial clout of Kohli but also the wider economic landscape of Indian cricket to which the players are making giant contributions in the name of national revenue.
Virat Kohli in 2024: Leading the Pack
Virat Kohli has paid ₹66 crores as tax for the year 2024-quite an achievement in the financial world for the cricketing start. His money-making streams include his deals with BCCI, IPL salaries with Royal Challengers Bangalore, and endorsement contracts with major brands such as Puma, Audi, and MRF. Kohli also has involvement in the fitness industry through his One8 brand, which he co-created with Puma, further showing his business mind.
That figure not only keeps Kohli the highest tax-paying cricketer among the top five of the highest taxpayers in India, not considering Bollywood megastars such as Shah Rukh Khan, who paid ₹92 crore in taxes, Thalapathy Vijay with ₹80 crore, consolidates Kohli’s stature which itself is testimony to the continued success on and off the cricket field.
Other Top Tax-Paying Cricketers in 2024
While Virat Kohli leads from the front in terms of paying taxes in Indian cricket, a number of other cricketers made pretty valuable payments in 2024: MS Dhoni paid ₹38 crores in taxes despite retiring from international cricket. His major earnings come from the IPL, where he captains the Chennai Super Kings besides his myriad endorsements. Dhoni’s sustained commercial performance underlines the enduring power he wields in Indian cricket many years after he withdrew from international competition.
The other Indian cricket legend to appear in this list of one of the biggest tax-paying cricketers is Sachin Tendulkar, who paid ₹28 crore in 2024. More than a decade since his retirement, Tendulkar remains a crucial figure in the endorsement world, hence his earnings, while another former captain of India and president of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly, paid ₹23 crore in taxes. Apart from these, his administrative functions in cricket besides endorsements supplement his income.
The other well-known cricketers on the list were Hardik Pandya, who contributed ₹13 crore, and Rishabh Pant, who paid ₹10 crore. Ironically, both Pandya and Pant are part of the younger group of cricketers who are leaving their mark on and off the cricket pitch.
Comparison of Tax Payments for the Year 2023 and 2024 by the Indian Cricketer
| Cricketer | Tax Paid (2023) | Tax Paid (2024) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | ₹55 crore | ₹66 crore | +₹11 crore |
| MS Dhoni | ₹38 crore | ₹38 crore | No Change |
| Sachin Tendulkar | ₹28 crore | ₹28 crore | No Change |
| Sourav Ganguly | ₹23 crore | ₹23 crore | No Change |
| Hardik Pandya | ₹13 crore | ₹13 crore | No Change |
| Rishabh Pant | ₹10 crore | ₹10 crore | No Change |
Impact on the Indian Cricket Financial Landscape
This increase in cricketers, especially of the caliber of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, paying more and more taxes is actually testimony to the gains in commercial importance that have been seen with Indian cricket globally. With highly salient contracts, endorsement deals, and franchises, the leading cricketers of India are among the highest-paid in the world, being the largest contributors to the Indian economy by paying taxes.
The IPL has also been a cause for cricketers earning more money, thereby good income for players such as Kohli, Dhoni, and Hardik Pandya among others. Success of the IPL continuously not only in terms of viewership but commercial revenue too will ensure the income of top cricketers goes up further in the future years to come thereby contributing more in taxes.
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Conclusion
Hence, Virat Kohli again becomes the top tax-paying cricketer in 2024; he pinpoints unmatched financial success on and off the field. He pays a contribution estimated at ₹66 crore, indicating that Indian top cricket stars take exponential amounts of earnings home, endorsed by endorsing, business ventures, and the IPL. Against the background of 2023, Kohli’s rising taxation contributions are testimony to his unmatched, ever-growing wealth and influence. While Indian cricket booms as a business, players like Kohli will go on to be among the single largest contributors to the nation’s exchequer for years to come.