IPL's Top Money-Makers: Cricket stars who've struck it rich in the league

IPL is the richest global T20 league and gets wealthier each passing season. Consequently, cricketers continue to make merry as we look at the ten top stars who have struck richness through the league, thanks to Sandeep Rana's insights.

Image credit: Sandeep Rana

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has revolutionized the game of cricket and the players' bank balances. This article will discuss who's made the most moolah in the tournament's history.

10. Dinesh Karthik
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter is 10th on the list of highest earners in the IPL. He has played 235 matches, scored 4421 runs with 20 half-centuries, a highest score of 97*, and hit 431 fours and 135 sixes. In the IPL 2023 auction, Bangalore bought him for ₹5.50 Cr. Dinesh Karthik's current salary is ₹5.5 crore at RCB, and his total IPL earnings are ₹86.92 crore.

9. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has been a part of every season of the IPL since its inception. He has played 210 matches, scoring 6477 runs at an average of 35.98 with two centuries and 49 half-centuries. His 2008 contract with Delhi Capitals (DC) was about ₹12 lakh. Dhawan's IPL teams have seen a gradual rise in his pay due to his consistent performance. His total salary in 2023 is ₹8.25 crore, and his all-time earning is ₹91.8 crore.

8. Gautam Gambhir
With 154 matches played in his IPL career, he has scored 4217 runs at an average of 31.23, including 36 half-centuries. Gambhir's highest IPL score is 93 runs; he has hit 491 fours and 59 sixes. In 2008, Gautam Gambhir signed a deal with the then-Delhi Daredevils (DD) worth ₹2.9 crore. In 2011, after DD released him, KKR acquired him for a staggering 11.04 crore. Gambhir enjoyed great success while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He continued to be the most expensive player in the team for a very long time. He earned ₹94.62 crore in earnings before retiring in 2018.

7. AB de Villiers
The 2021 season was AB de Villiers' final one. De Villiers, named Mr. 360, started in 2008 with a ₹1.2 crore salary. By the end of his career, he made an average of ₹11 crore every season and retired with earnings of ₹102.5 crore. He has played 184 matches in his IPL career, scoring 5,162 runs with an average of 39.70, including three centuries and 40 half-centuries. He hit 413 fours and 251 sixes. He played his last IPL match against Kolkata in Sharjah on Oct 2021, scoring 11 runs off nine balls.

6. Sunil Narine
Since 2012, Sunil Narine has played for KKR in every season. 
Sunil Narine has played 154 matches in his IPL career and took 158 wickets, with an average of 25.41, conceding nearly 6.70 runs per over with a best individual figure of 5/19. His initial pay was ₹3.51 crore. Narine made ₹12.5 crore per season from 2018 to 2021, but in 2022, that amount dropped to ₹6 crore. His IPL earnings exceed ₹107.2 crore in total.

5. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has played 215 matches in his IPL career and scored 2,541 runs, averaging 26.20. He has also slammed two half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 62* runs. Ravindra Jadeja has hit 183 fours and 93 sixes in his IPL career. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) acquired him for ₹12 lakh at the U-19 players' draft. In the league, Jadeja has consistently produced. His total earnings are over ₹109 crore due to his excellent performance.

4. Suresh Raina
On Oct 2021, Suresh Raina played his last IPL match against Rajasthan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, scoring three runs off five balls. Suresh Raina has played 205 games in his IPL career and scored 5,528 runs, averaging 32.51. He has also slammed a century and 39 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 100* runs. Suresh Raina has hit 506 fours and 203 sixes in his IPL career. His total IPL earnings to date are more approx ₹110 crore. Raina played most of his IPL games with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has played 229 matches in his IPL career and scored 6,903 runs, averaging 36.72. He has also slammed five centuries and 48 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 113 runs. Virat Kohli has made ₹173.2 crore in his IPL career so far. He is the only Indian on the list who has never won the title of the IPL.

2. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni has played 239 matches in his IPL career and scored 5,037 runs, averaging 39.35. He has also slammed 24 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 84* runs. Dhoni has hit 348 fours and 235 sixes in his IPL career. His first pay was ₹6 crore, rising to ₹8.28 crore in 2011, ₹12.5 crore in 2014, and ₹15 crore in 2018. In the IPL Auction 2023, the Chennai franchise acquired the services of MS Dhoni for ₹12.00 Cr. His total earning is ₹176.84 crore.

1. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has surpassed Dhoni as the player with the highest IPL earnings ever. Rohit Sharma has played 232 matches in his IPL career and scored 6,014 runs, averaging 30.22. He has also slammed a century and 41 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 109* runs. Rohit Sharma has hit 535 fours and 247 sixes in his IPL career. His IPL earnings are ₹178.6 crore in total.