File picture: Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2026 match against Punjab Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala on Sunday.
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Virat Kohli has emerged as the highest earner in the 18-year-old IPL's history, grossing ₹230 crore from his association with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, according to a report published on Tuesday.The combined valuation of all 10 Indian Premier League franchises stands at ₹1.63 lakh crore, the report by Fanatic Sports and Hurun has said.The Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders leads with a valuation of over ₹19,200 crore, followed by the Ambanis-owned Mumbai Indians at ₹18,400 crore and Chennai Super Kings at ₹18,400 crore, the report said.Interestingly, the average valuation of an IPL team is projected to jump to $15 billion by 2032 from the present $1.8 billion, the report, which comes amid a heightened interest in deal-making among franchisees, said."India is standing at the base of that curve right now. Talent is being manufactured at the grassroots. Capital is arriving at the top. A billion-plus consumers are about to have the income to participate in between," Hurun India's Founder and Chief Researcher Anas Rahman Junaid said.Rohit Sharma with earnings of ₹227.2 crore and MS Dhoni at ₹200 crore follow Kohli in all-time IPL earnings, the report said.In contrast, among women cricketers, Smriti Mandhana tops the Women's Premier League with cumulative earnings at ₹13.7 crore till now, and the top-10 women players have earned just ₹90 crore till now.In the case of hockey, the country's national sport, the contrasts are even starker.Defender Harmanpreet Singh commands the highest salary in the Hockey India League with a salary of ₹78 lakh, followed by the ₹72 lakh grossed by Abhishek Nain, a forward, and ₹70 lakh by midfielder Hardik Singh, the report said.Hockey, however, scores on delivering young talent with players such as 14-year-old Ketan Kushwaha and two 15-year-olds, Purti Ashish Tani and Rahul Yadav, the report said.Looked at from a geographical perspective, the sport which has won India big laurels in the Olympics, also wins from a grassroot relevance perspective, the report said, pointing out how a single town in Odisha (Sundargarh) contributes 12 athletes in the list.The overall list tracks 1,323 elite athletes from 504 cities, 181 states/provinces, and 53 countries across 59 teams in six leagues across sports.Published on May 19, 2026
