.jpg)
.jpg)
Twelve years ago, Virat Kohli played his first Cricket World Cup. Fortuitously, the nail-biting 2011 finals between India and Sri Lanka was on home-ground—Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium—making victory even sweeter. That night, Kohli joined a niche rank—of debut cricketers winning their first Cricket World Cup, a tremendous feat considering India bagged the coveted title after a gap of 28 years.
Interestingly, Kohli is still the only Indian cricketer to have scored a century in a World Cup debut match. At 22, the talented batter had secured 100 in the India vs Bangladesh World Cup opener; leading his team to win by 87 runs.
Like Kohli, a number of Indian cricketers are making their Cricket World Cup debut this year. All eyes are on Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Muhammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Suryakumar Yadav, with the world waiting to see if they’ll follow in their former captain’s footsteps and bag the trophy in their first go.
If India wins the World Cup, they will receive prize money worth $4 million (approximately Rs 33 crore). But before that, let’s take a look at how much these debut World Cup cricketers are already taking home.
Cricket World Cup: Here's how much Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan & other first-time Indian players take home as salaries
Shubman Gill, touted as Indian cricket’s rising star, couldn’t play in India vs Australia World Cup opener on 8 October as he was hospitalised due to dengue. While he’s been discharged from the Chennai hospital, he may have to miss the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match on 14 October.
Gill, a reliable opening batsman, recently showcased his skill in the Asia Cup 2023, where India beat Sri Lanka by 10 whole wickets. Scoring 302 runs across six matches, Gill was awarded as the top scorer of the tournament.
BCCI contract
With his countless contributions leading India to victory across various tournaments, Gill is part of the ‘Grade B’ Indian players receiving an annual salary of Rs 3 crore, according to the latest annual players contracts for the 2022-23 season shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
IPL
Earlier this year, Gill was a dominant force for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was brought on board for a whopping Rs 8 crore. According to CAKnowledge, Gill earned a total of Rs 23 crore from the latest season.
Brand endorsements
Gill also receives a sizable chunk of his income from brand endorsements and is associated with popular brands like CEAT, Nike, Fiama, Gillette and more. Going by CA Knowledge’s curated figures, Gill earns an approximate Rs 1 crore from the same.
Net worth
With a combination of match fees, BCCI contract and brand endorsements, Gill is slated to have a net worth of approximately $4 million (approximately Rs 32 crore), according to CA Knowledge.
At 25, wicket-keeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has already made a mark in the world of Indian cricket with his aggressive style. With Gill’s absence in the India vs Australia Cricket World Cup opener, Kishan stepped in to open the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma.
BCCI contract
Kishan has been categorised as a ‘Grade C’ player earning an annual paycheck of Rs 1 crore, according to the annual player contracts for the 2022-23 season shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
IPL
Back in IPL 2018, Mumbai Indians brought on Kishan for a fee of Rs 6.20 crore. In 2022, he was paid Rs 15.25 crore to continue playing for the team, making him the second most expensive Indian player that season, Business Today reports.
- Look Good6 best Rolex watches in the world
Brand endorsements
According to News18, Kishan’s monthly income from brand endorsements, which include brands like Oppo India, Manyavar, Noise, CEAT, Sanspareils Greenlands (SG), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), BLITZPOOLS, is expected to be somewhere around Rs 1.2 crore.
Net worth
With his IPL earnings, Rs 1 crore BCCI contract and brand endorsements, Kishan’s estimated net worth is Rs 60 crore, according to News18 and ABP Live.
Before Mohammed Siraj made his Cricket World Cup debut on 8 October, he’d already delighted fans with his madcap bowling in the Asia Cup 2023 finals. With the India vs Sri Lanka final held in Colombo, Siraj took four wickets in a single over, and then two more, delivering the first-ever six-fer by a pace bowler in the history of the tournament.
With his stellar performance leading India to victory in the Asia Cup, high hopes are pinned on the 29-year-old bowler from Hyderabad.
BCCI contract
According to the 2022-23 season player contracts released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Siraj has been listed as a ‘Grade B’ player, taking home an annual salary of Rs 3 crore.
IPL
Siraj came on board as part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018 and was retained by the team for Rs 8 crore during the 2023 auction. Across his six IPL seasons, Siraj is said to have earned a total of Rs 20 crore, Sportskeeda reports.
Brand endorsements
While the exact amount Siraj earns from endorsements is unclear, he is associated with brands like MyCircle11, Be O Man, CoinSwitchKuber, Crash on the Run, and MyFitness.
Net worth
The Rs. 3 crore BCCI contract, IPL earnings and brand endorsements, among other avenues, have culminated Siraj’s net worth at $5 million (approximately Rs 37.3 crore) according to Sportskeeda.
- Look Good6 best Rolex watches in the world
Shreyas Iyer proved his grit as a batsman in the high-stakes India vs Australia second ODI match held in September. Iyer scored a century, leading India to secure 399 runs in just 50 overs. Iyer, who serves as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders has been in good form in recent tournaments, and despite a rough start in the India vs Australia World Cup opener, is ready to bring his A-game to the field.
BCCI contract
According to the 2022-23 season player contracts released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this year, Iyer holds a Grade B contract, taking home an annual salary of Rs 3 crore.
IPL
Iyer kickstarted his IPL journey in 2015 with Delhi, earning Rs 2.6 crore in his first year. In 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders brought him on board with Rs 12.25 crore and paid a similar amount the following year to retain him. In 2023, Iyer went on to captain the Knight Riders.
Brand endorsements
Iyer is associated with popular brands like BoAt, Manyavar, Dream11, CEAT, and others and reportedly charges about Rs 20-30 lakh for one brand.
Net worth
With his BCCI contract, IPL earnings and brand endorsements, Iyer is slated to have a net worth of approximately $7 million (approximately Rs 70 crore), according to CaKnowledge.
Shardul Thakur picked up five wickets in the Asia Cup 2023 and has made significant contributions to India’s win in both test cricket and ODIs in the past three years. Speaking about his decision to back Thakur’s spot on the Indian team playing the Cricket World Cup, coach Sanjay Bangar told Star Sports: “He (Thakur) is an extremely underrated bowler. The achievements he has had in the last two or three years, whether it is Test cricket or ODI cricket, he is a wicket-taker and goes slightly under the radar because the Indian bowling is so fantastic”.
- Look Good6 best Rolex watches in the world
BCCI contract
Featuring among the ‘Grade C’ players in the 2022-23 season player contracts released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Thakur takes home an annual salary of Rs 1 crore.
IPL
While Thakur played for Chennai Super Kings between 2018 and 2021, and with Delhi Capitals in 2022, he came on board for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 for a whopping sum of Rs 10.75 crore.
Brand endorsements
Thakur features as the brand ambassador for major footwear brands Khadim and Tata Power.
Net worth
With his BCCI contract, IPL earnings, brand endorsements and private businesses, Thakur is slated to have a net worth of $5 million (approximately Rs 25 crore), according to CAKnowledge.
In 2022, Suryakumar Yadav scripted history by becoming the first Indian to score over 1,000 runs in the T20 format on the international level. He has also proved himself to be a standout batsman for the Mumbai Indians, becoming the team’s vice-captain in 2023.
While Yadav hasn’t had much luck in the ODIs so far, he’s been resolute in his goal to “crack the code” and contribute to India’s overseas success. The Cricket World Cup would be a good way to kickstart that promise.
BCCI contract
Listed as ‘Grade B’ player by the 2022-23 season player contracts released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Yadav earns an annual salary of Rs 3 crore from his contract.
IPL
Ever since he came on board with the Mumbai Indians, later becoming the team’s vice-captain, Yadav has been receiving an IPL salary of Rs 8 crore every season, according to DNA.
Brand endorsements
Yadav has been associated with brands like Crossbeats, JioCinema, TIGC, UniScholars, Healthyr-U, Seagram's Royal Stag, Reebok India, and ICICI Prudential. According to DNA, the cricketer charges Rs 60-70 lakh as an endorsement fee for one brand.
Net worth
With his BCCI contract, IPL salary, and brand endorsements, Suryakumar Yadav has a net worth of $6 million (approximately Rs 45 crores), according to CAKnowledge.
