3 min readNew DelhiMay 21, 2026 05:41 PM IST
Top 10 all-time IPL cumulative earners: The Indian Premier League (IPL) has grown into one of the richest sporting leagues in the world, giving top cricketers a chance to earn massive fortunes along with building their cricketing legacy. A recent report by Fanatic Sports and Hurun India has now revealed the highest-paid players in IPL history, with Virat Kohli topping the list.
Kohli, who has spent his entire IPL career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has reportedly earned around Rs 230.2 crore from the tournament so far. He made his IPL debut in the inaugural 2008 season under the U19 category, when RCB signed him for just Rs 12 lakh. Since then, his value has increased dramatically, making him the highest-earning player in the league’s history.
The star batter’s earnings saw a major jump in 2011 when RCB retained him for Rs 8.25 crore. He earned that amount for three seasons until 2013. In the ongoing 2026 season, Kohli is drawing his highest-ever IPL salary after being retained by RCB for Rs 21 crore. He is also the only player in IPL history to have played all 19 seasons for the same franchise.
Kohli’s total IPL earnings now place him ahead of other league legends like Rohit Sharma and M S Dhoni. Rohit, who previously played for Deccan Chargers and later captained Mumbai Indians, is second on the list with combined earnings of Rs 227.2 crore across all IPL seasons.
Meanwhile, former India captain Dhoni, who has been associated with Chennai Super Kings for most of his IPL career, ranks third with earnings of Rs 200.3 crore. Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni are currently the only three players in IPL history to have crossed the Rs 200 crore mark in career earnings.
Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant complete the top five list. Pant has especially emerged as one of the fastest-growing earners in IPL history, collecting Rs 137.8 crore in just nine seasons. Other major names in the list include Sunil Narine, Sanju Samson, K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya. Their presence highlights how the IPL has become a major platform for long-term financial success and brand growth for cricketers.
Among overseas players, Kolkata Knight Riders star Sunil Narine is the only international cricketer to feature in the top earners list, making him the highest-paid foreign player in IPL history.
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The report also highlighted the massive rise in the value of IPL franchises. According to Fanatic Sports and Hurun India, the combined valuation of all 10 IPL teams currently stands at Rs 1.63 lakh crore. It further projected that the average valuation of an IPL franchise could rise from the present $1.8 billion to nearly $15 billion by 2032, reflecting the growing business interest and investment in the league.
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