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Highest paid IPL players revealed [Source: AFP]
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed staggering financial growth over the years, turning elite cricketers into some of the most lucrative assets in franchise sport. As franchise investments continue to soar, RCB legend Virat Kohli sits atop the all-time earnings chart among IPL stars up until the ongoing 2026 edition of the tournament.
As one can expect, the illustrious list also features five-time IPL winning skippers like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Their long-standing association with CSK and Mumbai Indians respectively has played a major role in boosting their IPL stocks over the years
Virat Kohli emerges richest IPL player in history
Virat Kohli has emerged as the richest IPL player in the history of the league. Having made his debut in the inaugural edition back in 2008 under the ‘U19 category’, the cricketer was roped in by the RCB for a sum of Rs. 12 lakhs.
The prolific right-hander is also the only player in IPL history to have played in all 19 editions of the league so far for a single franchise.
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Kohli’s stocks rose significantly from 2011 onwards, when he was retained by RCB for a staggering sum of Rs. 8.25 crores, a value he earned for three seasons up until 2013. Notably, the ongoing 2026 season marks his highest-ever IPL salary, with RCB retaining him for a whopping Rs. 21 crores.
His latest RCB contract stretched Virat Kohli’s cumulative IPL earnings to Rs. 230.2 crores, placing him even above the likes of multi-IPL winners like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.
Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni closely follow Virat Kohli
Former Deccan Chargers cricketer and ex-Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is ranked second on the list with a combined earning of Rs. 227.2 crores across all seasons.
In a list formulated by Fanatic Sports and Hurun India, former Indian captain and CSK veteran MS Dhoni is ranked third with Rs. 200.3 crore earnings. It is worth noting that Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are the only three players in IPL history who have earned over Rs. 200 crores.
The legendary trio is followed by fellow seasoned pro Ravindra Jadeja, and active LSG skipper Rishabh Pant. KKR icon Sunil Narine is the only overseas player to feature in the list, thus making him the highest earning non-Indian cricketer in the IPL. Here is a look at 10 of the highest-paid IPL players of all time.
Top 10 highest-paid IPL players in history:
1. Virat Kohli - ₹230.2 crore
2. Rohit Sharma - ₹227.2 crore
3. M.S. Dhoni - ₹200.3 crore
4. Ravindra Jadeja - ₹157.0 crore
5. Rishabh Pant - ₹137.8 crore
6. Sunil Narine - ₹137.2 crore
7. Sanju Samson - ₹126.5 crore
8. K.L. Rahul - ₹126.1 crore
9. Shreyas Iyer - ₹126.0 crore
10. Hardik Pandya - ₹122.0 crore
KKR beats MI and CSK to become most valuable team
In terms of franchise evaluation, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned KKR franchise is the most valuable team in IPL history. The three-time title winning team, valued Rs. 19,200 crores, even pipped five-time winners Mumbai Indians and CSK.
Both Mumbai Indians and CSK are equally valued at Rs. 18,400 crores, as per the report.
Meanwhile, the total valuation of all 10 IPL franchises combined has now reached ₹1.63 lakh crore.
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