Former India captain and one of the most popular cricketers in the world Virat Kohli was named as the highest tax-paying cricketer as far as the Indian team is concerned. Kohli, who is a brand in himself, is not only a current cricketer for India and in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but also add to that his several brand deals and endorsements which make him one of the highest-earning sportspersons in the world. Kohli paid INR 66 crore as tax for the financial year 2023-24.
"Virat Kohli emerged as the highest taxpayer from the country among sportspersons for the previous financial year, which ended on March 31, 2024. The star batter paid Rs 66 crore as taxes in the financial year," a Fortune India report stated.
Legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni is second on the list. Dhoni may have retired from international cricket but he is still the face of IPL and his popularity is enough to generate the buzz among sponsors and advertisers, who are ready to get him on board at the drop of a hat.
"MS Dhoni, who has taken a backseat from cricket and is now seen only during the IPL, is second among the cricketers in the list. The wicketkeeper-batter, who enjoys a huge fanbase and has multiple endorsement deals, paid Rs 38 crore as tax in FY2024," it further added.
Surprisingly two retired Indian cricketers are on the list with Sachin Tendulkar in third place and former captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on fourth. Tendulkar paid an amount as high as INR 28 crore for the financial year in taxes while Sourav Ganguly paid INR 23 crore.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, the two current Indian stars, made up the top six Indian cricketers to pay the highest taxes. While Pandya paid INR 13 crore, Pant paid INR 10 crore in taxes.
