Not Kohli. Not Dhoni. Then Who Is India's Richest Cricketer Worth INR 20,000 Crore? Recently when cricketer Virat Kohli's net worth of over INR 1000 crore made headlines all over, comparisons with the net worth of other cricketers began, as is always the case.

By Kabir Singh Bhandari

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Recently when cricketer Virat Kohli's net worth of over INR 1000 crore made headlines all over, comparisons with the net worth of other cricketers began, as is always the case.

One can safely assume that he is the richest active cricketer in the world at this stage, with regards to his earnings as a cricketer and his several brand endorsements. He is an 'A+' grade under his BCCI contract, and gets INR 7 crore annually. His fee per test match is INR 15 lakh, INR 6 lakh for each ODI and INR 3 lakh for every T20 match. He also gets INR 15 crore annually from Royal Challengers Bangalore, the IPL franchise. And then there are his brand endorsements.

Legend Sachin Tendulkar's net worth is INR 1,250 crores, while India's most successful captain MS Dhoni's net worth is pegged at INR 1,040 crore.

But if none of these stalwarts are India's richest cricketer, then who is?

It's someone whose name most of us won't have heard of- Samarjitsinh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. 56-year-old Gaekwad is a former first-class cricketer and the Samarjitsinh Gaekwad is the former king of Baroda. The only son of Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad and Shubhanginiraje, he did his schooling from Doon School, Dehradun.

Gaekwad became the Maharaja after his father died in May 2012, inheriting properties over INR 20,000 crore. He also owns Laxmi Vilas Palace, the world's biggest private residence and also controls the temple trust which controls 17 temples in Gujarat and in Banaras. Gaekwad is married to Radhikaraje, who hails from the royal family of Wankaner State.

As far as his cricketing career is concerned, Gaekwad had represented Baroda in the Ranji Trophy and played 6 first-class matches. He has also been the president of the Baroda Cricket Association.

Kabir Singh Bhandari

Former Senior Assistant Editor

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