Virat Kohli surpasses Dhoni, Rohit as highest-paid IPL player ever

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just about cricket; it’s also about fame, fortune, and massive paychecks. Over the years, some of the biggest cricketing names have amassed staggering earnings through their IPL contracts.

Three of the league’s biggest stars—MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli—have dominated the sport and their bank balances. But who has taken home the most money from the IPL? The answer might surprise you.

MS Dhoni: CSK's legendary earner

MS Dhoni has been the face of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the IPL’s inception in 2008. For most of his career, he has been among the highest-paid players, both in CSK and across the IPL.

Though he briefly played for Rising Pune Super Giants in 2016 and 2017, his brand value skyrocketed with CSK. However, in 2025, Dhoni was retained for just ₹4 crore, the lowest IPL salary of his 18-year career.

Despite this dip, Dhoni has amassed a staggering ₹205.34 crore from his IPL contracts alone. This figure excludes his endorsements, match fees, and promotional earnings.

Rohit Sharma: Mumbai’s batting maestro

Like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma has played for two franchises in the IPL. However, his career reached new heights when Mumbai Indians signed him in 2010. Since taking over MI’s captaincy in 2013, he has been instrumental in their five IPL title wins.

With consistent performances, his contract value surged. In the past seven seasons, Rohit has never earned less than ₹15 crore per season. In 2025, MI retained him for ₹16.30 crore, bringing his total IPL earnings to ₹204.90 crore.

With this, Rohit is just marginally behind Dhoni and is likely to surpass him in 2026.

Virat Kohli: The undisputed IPL king

Unlike Dhoni and Rohit, Virat Kohli has remained loyal to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) throughout his IPL career. Joining as a youngster, he is now the undisputed leader of the franchise, even without the captaincy.

His paychecks have only grown over the years. In 2025, RCB retained Kohli for a whopping ₹21 crore, making him the highest-paid cricketer in IPL history.

Kohli’s total IPL contract earnings now stand at ₹207.96 crore, surpassing both Dhoni and Rohit. While RCB may not have secured an IPL trophy in 17 seasons, Kohli’s earnings and records make him a true king of the league.

Does Kohli’s lead surprise you?

"Does Kohli winning over Dhoni and Rohit surprise you? Perhaps not," the report notes. "It’s not just about winning or losing the IPL trophy. It is also about racking up huge contracts and earning big molas in the Indian T20 league."

Whether in terms of performance or financial success, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli have dominated IPL history. These three cricketing icons not only know how to win matches but also how to secure some of the biggest contracts in the game.

The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.