When it comes to Indian cricketers, they are undoubtedly one of the richest in the world. It is mainly because the Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricketing body globally.
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Over the years, India has produced numerous top cricketers, while some of the top ones have become the richest globally, including Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. However, one such cricketer surpasses all the ones mentioned before and we hardly have any clue about him.
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Not sure how many of you have heard of the cricketer named Aryaman Birla, but he is the richest of all. The 23-year-old is the son of a high-profile Indian business magnate, Kumar Mangalam Birla, with a worth of ₹70,000 crore.
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Aryaman is an opening batsman who plays for Madhya Pradesh. To date, he has represented the side in Ranji Trophy, having scored 414 in 16 innings at an average of 27.60, including a half-century and a ton, while he has a top score of an unbeaten 103.
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"Someone might say there's pressure because of your name. Of course, there's a legacy that I would love to build on in my own way. But, when you're playing, you just keep your focus on the ball. It's the 22 yards that counts. It's a great responsibility for me and I would love to take it forward," Aryaman had told Economic Times after slamming his maiden FC ton.
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Aryaman was also in line to take up his father's duties at the Aditya Birla Group before choosing to try his hands in cricket. The multi-million dollar company majorly deals in cement, metal, retail and telecom.
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Aryaman was also a part of the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals for a couple of seasons, between 2018-19, picked up for ₹30 lakh. However, he did not play a game and took a sabbatical from the sport after the 2019 season owing to mental health problems, while RR released him before the 2020 auction.
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"It's been a journey of hard work, perseverance, dedication and immense courage to get to this point in my cricket career. However, I've been coping with severe anxiety related to the sport for a while now. I've felt trapped. I've pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to put my mental health and wellbeing above all else," he had once written on Instagram on his sabbatical for mental health.
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While he continues on his sabbatical, he is indeed a promising talent and could scale greater heights in the sport. However, judging by the amount of mental pressure the sport has and the added stress of leading his father's company, he is unlikely to pursue cricket full-time.
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