With the genesis of T20 cricket, cricket has witnessed revolutionary changes in terms of the popularity of the sport and the income earned by cricketers. The format has brought in a fast-moving, entertaining form of cricket to the world, forcing batsmen and bowlers to garner out-of-the-box solutions to counter the attacking prowess of the opponent.
Apart from the top countries who have made their presence felt in the ODI and Test formats, T20 tournaments and leagues across the world have given rise to beliefs amongst associate nations while urging them to participate and compete amongst the greats. Lucrative leagues such as the IPL, BBL, CPL, BPL and the recent PSL have played host to several big names from the cricketing world, pulling along with them huge crowds to gather an immense amount of revenue.
Cricket being the most popular sport in many countries, cricketers are no doubt the biggest benefactors from the game and its associated commercial aspects. With consistent performances on the global circuit, many players see their net worth bloom with every deal added to their kitty. While it is true that advertisements add a stop-start dimension to cricket, but at the end of the day, the few viewers are those who complain, while cricketers continue to go about their merry ways.
#10 Rahul Dravid – US $22.6 million
#9 Yuvraj Singh – US $35.5 million
#8 Virender Sehwag – US $40 million
#7 Shane Watson – US $40 million
#6 Shahid Afridi – US $41 million
#5 Shane Warne – US $50 million
#4 Virat Kohli – US $53 million
#3 Ricky Ponting – US $65 million
#2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni – US $103 million
#1 Sachin Tendulkar – US $118 million