How much does Virat Kohli earn in a year?
What's the story
Virat Kohli's status as one of the world's best batsman possibly overshadows the fact that he is perhaps the richest player in international cricket today. While it's impossible to definitively pin a net worth on Kohli owing to lack of available data, it is possible to estimate how much Kohli rakes in. Here's how much he earns in a year!
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Kohli's standing in Forbes' top athletes list
Virat Kohli stands 7th in Forbes' List of '10 Most Valuable Athletes in 2017', two positions above Lionel Messi. Kohli's brand valuation stands at $14.5 million, $1 million above Messi's valuation and $22.7 million short of the leader, Roger Federer's $37.2 million valuation.
Fee structure
Understanding the fee structure in Indian cricket
While Australia and England pay top contract retaining money for their international players, India pays the highest match fees for international cricket. On top of that, the BCCI pays 26% of its gross revenue to its players, of which 13% is reserved for the international cricket team. How much each player gets is based on how many matches they play.
International cricket
Kohli's estimated earnings from international cricket fees and contracts
India's international cricketers receive match fees of $23,380 (Rs. 15L), $9,337 (Rs. 6L), and $4,676 (Rs. 3L) for international tests, ODIs and T20s respectively. Being captain, Kohli receives amounts over and above these base fees. Kohli earns approximately $1 million annually from international cricket contracts, fees and BCCI earnings, falling behind Steven Smith ($1.47m per annum) and Joe Root ($1.38m per annum).
Domestic cricket
Virat Kohli remains the highest paid player in the IPL
According to IPL salary details revealed by the BCCI, Kohli remains the highest paid player in the IPL with a pay cheque of Rs. 15 crore ($2.26 million). Apart from his IPL earnings, Virat Kohli's status as a youth icon in the Indian subcontinent, along with his presence in the domestic sports scene, earns him a large number of endorsements from big brands.
Endorsements
An approximation of Virat Kohli's earnings from endorsements
Endorsements are of two types - daily, yearly. Currently, Kohli charges Rs. 5 crore ($775,000) daily for endorsements, a fee in the league of top international athletes. In February, Kohli signed an eight-year deal with Puma worth Rs. 110 crore ($15 million) - $1.875 million yearly. ESPN puts Kohli's total endorsements at $17.4 million, although it's unclear whether the valuation is annual or cumulative.