Every athlete represents the nation with tonnes of pride. As they say, “Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they will remember the name on the back.” Some athletes have stood by that phrase and have given absolutely everything for the team to earn a great name and a fanbase.
Though there are thousands of athletes across India, not all steal the spotlight. Only those who get the better of themselves and who take their game to another step in intensity have managed to be on the top. The following are the Indian athletes who are the richest sportspersons in 2018.
#7. Ravichandran Ashwin- ₹18.9 crore
Ravi Ashwin has been the key spinner for India. Right now he is playing only Tests due to some stiff competition in the other formats of the game. He is known for his ability to bowl ‘carrom balls’ in crunch situations. He made it into the list of richest sportspersons of this year.
#6. Hardik Pandya- ₹28.46 crore
If there is one player who earned a place in the Indian cricket team through belligerent IPL performances, it is Hardik Pandya. He is a potential all-rounder by trait. He is fit as a fiddle. He hits the ball so hard and has managed to pick some crucial wickets.
#5. Rohit Sharma- ₹31.49 crore
Rohit Sharma was not known to the world when he batted down the order. His career changed when he was promoted as an opener and since then, he has lived up to the expectations and also carved out a reputation for himself as the world’s best opener. He is famously called ‘Hitman’.
#4. PV Sindhu- ₹36.5 crores
Bold, brilliant yet storms across the badminton court with a blistering pace, shimmies down the track for terrifying smashes only to outsmart the opponent like a hot knife through butter is PV Sindhu’s ideology. She stands fourth in the list with a staggering Rs. 36.5 crores. She is the only non-cricketer to get featured in the list.
#3. Sachin Tendulkar- ₹80 crore
Sachin Tendulkar stands third on the list of highest-paid athlete this year. He is one of the most iconic figures in the cricket fraternity. He has done so much for the country by slicing and timing the balls to perfection and in the process, he went about his business and created many records.
Ever since the legendary cricketer’s retirement, people broke into tears and it was difficult to take it to their hearts, especially Sachin fans. They even came to a conclusion that only humans are playing cricket now as the ‘God of cricket’ called it quits from the sport.
#2. MS Dhoni- ₹101.77 crore
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s simplicity and honesty have never been in doubt. The down-to-earth personality is a huge inspiration to all the cricket followers. Known for the knack of captaincy, wicketkeeping and batting traits, his contribution towards Indian cricket is so good that it cannot be put it in words. MS Dhoni stands second on the list of highest paid sportsperson this year.
#1. Virat Kohli- ₹228.09 crore
Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world right now. He has been successful across all the formats of the game and averages 50 plus in all the three versions. He tops the list like a boss. He leapfrogged his former captain MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar on the list of highest paid sportspersons in the year 2018.
