Virat Kohli Tops Forbes' India Rich-List for Sports Persons in 2018

Team India skipper Virat Kohli has had a terrific year both in and out of the field. The talismanic run-scorer has made a habit of breaking records with the bat which in return has helped him earn high-yielding advertisement contracts away from it.

Meanwhile, Kohli started this calendar year on a high returning from South Africa with good runs under his belt. And now, with the year coming to an end, the Indian skipper will look to finish on top against his favourite opponents Australia. While Kohli is one of the most marketable cricketers in the world, the 30-year-old heads Forbes’ Rich List for sportspersons. Moreover, Virat Kohli sits second behind Salman Khan in the overall celebrity charts.

Kohli was the second on the 2017 Forbes List for celebrities in India, having earned a total of 100.72 crores last year. This term, the Indian captain’s earnings more than doubled as he accumulated a whopping sum of 228.09 crores. It should also be noted that the BCCI central contract, Royal Challengers Bangalore salary isn’t among the major contributors to Kohli’s earnings, with the advertising contracts proving to be the real deal.

Former India skipper MS Dhoni occupies the second spot after Virat Kohli while Sachin Tendulkar continues to be in the top three, years after his retirement. Shuttler PV Sindhu in the fourth on the list and the second women athlete in the top 10.

On the other hand, the likes of Manish Pandey and Jasprit Bumrah made it to the list for the first time in their careers.

Here’s the full list of sportspersons in 2018 Forbes Rich List of top 100 celebrities:

All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is currently out of action due to a lower-back injury was the biggest gainer. Having earned just Rs. 3.04 crores last year, the all-rounder bagged Rs 28.46 crores this term, hence taking a rise of more than 800 percent.

A total of 21 sportspersons found a place in the Forbes’ rich list of top 100 celebrities.