IPL 2021: 5 highest earning players since 2008

India's most celebrated cricketing league got inaugurated in 2008. BCCI's ex vice-president, Lalit Modi came with an idea of a city-based franchise and auctioning cricketers. The league instantly become hit and it is getting more and more successful after each edition. Last month, the Indian Premier League has completed its 13 seasons. Rajasthan Royals won the inauguration IPL in 2008. Whether, MI won 5 titles, CSK takes 3 titles, KKR won 2 titles & DC,SRH takes 1 title each.

However, here is the list of top 5 players who earns the most in IPL since 2008.

#1 Mahendra Singh Dhoni | CSK,RPS | 137 Crores

The former Indian captain and world's most celebrated cricketer, MS Dhoni was bought by Chennai SuperKings in 2008 as their marquee player for USD 1.5 Million (INR 11 Crores). He got the same amount for the next three years. From 2011 till 2013, MS got a salary dip to INR 8.2 Crores. In 2014, the BCCI increased the salaries of first choice retentions as MS got INR 12.5 Crores for till the end of 2015.MS Dhoni get a transfer to Pune SuperGaints in 2016. However, his payment stayed the same for his two-year tenure. From 2018, MSD is getting INR 15 Crores per year as the BCCI increased the fees for the first choice retentions. Dhoni has earned over INR 137 Crores in the last 13 seasons of the Indian Premier League.

Read Also : IPL Winners list of last 12 years

#2 Rohit Sharma | MI,DC | 131 Crores

After MS Dhoni comes India's white-ball vice-captain. Deccan Chargers (now replaced by SunRisers Hyderabad) bought Rohit Sharma for the first edition of the T20 league at a whopping cost of INR 3 Crores. The franchise continued with Sharma for three years and the cricketer charged the same for his tenure at Hyderabad. In 2011, the Ambanis brought him to Mumbai Indians where he charged INR 11 Crores till the 2013 season. In 2014, Rohit became the captain of the franchise in the mid-2013 season. However, he was the first-choice retention and got INR 12.5 Crores. His salary again increased in 2018 as the board increased it to INR 15 Crores per year for the first-choice retentions. Hence, Rohit Sharma has earned INR 131 Crores since 2008.

#3 Virat Kohli | RCB | 128 Crores

The Indian captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore's superstar has been with the franchise since the commencement of the league. Virat Kohli was gaining huge popularity as he was the Indian skipper when Indian clinched the Under-19 World Cup in 2008. RCB understood Kohli's caliber and got the future superstar on-board for INR 12 Lakhs. Virat charged the same for the next two years until 2011 when the franchise retained Kohli for INR 8.2 Crores. In 2014, as the board increased the salary of the first-choices. So, RCB's star bagged INR 12.5 Crores for the next four years. In 2018, Virat broke all the records to become the highest-paid cricketer in a single IPL season, Virat grabbed INR 17 Crores per year and he is getting paid the same amount since then. The total amount for Virat from IPL adds on to INR 128 Crores.

#4 Suresh Raina | CSK,GL | 98 Crores

The former Indian all-rounder who is also regards as the most enthusiastic cricketer. Suresh Raina was bought by Chennai SuperKings in 2008. Raina under Dhoni's wings got the title of Mr. IPL. Raina was bought for INR 2.6 Crores by his beloved CSK and he earned the same amount until the end of the third IPL season. In 2011, after winning his maiden IPL title his got a salary hike to INR 6 Crores per year and took the same amount for the next 2 seasons.

In the 2014 and 2015 editions, he grabbed INR 9.5 Crores when he became the second-choice retention player in CSK. As Chennai for 2 years, Mr. IPL was get a transfer to Gujarat Loins where he took INR 9.5 Crores in 2016 and INR 12.5 Crores in 2017. He again came back to Chennai for the 2018 season at the prize money of INR 11 Crores. He might have missed the last IPL season but still, Mr. IPL is on the fourth spot with over INR 98 Crores.

Also Read : Unmukt Chand retires at 28, joins Major League Cricket in America

#5 Gautam Gambhir | KKR,DD | 95 Crores

The hero of the finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup, Gautam Gambhir comes on the fifth spot of the wealthiest men from the Indian Premier League. After the victory of 2007, Gautam was in high value. Hence, Delhi Daredevils grabbed him for INR 2.9 Crores and paid him the same amount for three IPL editions. In 2011, Gambhir get a shift to Kolkata, and the Knight Rider bought the sensation for INR 11 Crores and he charged the exact till 2013 edition. From 2014, as per BCCI's order, Gautam Gambhir who was KKR's first-choice got INR 12.5 Crores for the next four seasons. In 2018, Gautam came back to Delhi to play his last season at INR 2.8 Crores. Gautam who has captained his franchise KKR has earned a total of INR 95 Crores in 11 IPL seasons.