10 Highest Paid Cricketers in 2024 – By Base Salary

The introduction of major cricket competitions such as the IPL has led to some huge payouts for the best players in the game. If you have ever wondered who the highest earners are, here is the current list.

Highest Paid Cricketers in the World (2024)

1. Virat Kohli

  • Monthly Salary: $690k
  • Net Worth: $140 Million

At the very top of the tree is the man who has led Indian cricket in all three formats for many years. All of the figures shown are based on base salary and Virat Kolhi tops the list with a mighty monthly wage packet of $690k.

When you consider how much in demand Kohli is, he’s an obvious name at the very top. As a former captain of India and a vital part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Premier League for so many years, his fans would say that he’s worth every single cent.

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli celebrates his first Test century, in Adelaide

2. Dean Elgar

  • Monthly Salary: $440k
  • Net Worth: $40 million

There are few shocks on this list but Dean Elgar’s inclusion at number two may be a surprise. After all, he doesn’t get picked up by the IPL franchises and isn’t seen as a T20 player. T20 brings in the crowds and the biggest sums of money so why is he here?

Elgar is a patient opening batsman who has recently retired from international cricket and the South African test team. He has featured in the international limited overs set up but his main role now is to play domestic cricket in South Africa and in the UK with Essex County Cricket Club. 

Those salary numbers are actually very interesting because they underline just how much money is in the modern game in all of its formats.

Dean Elgar
Dean Elgar

3. Joe Root

  • Monthly Salary: $400k
  • Net Worth: $3.3 million

Joe Root is another player who passes under the radar of the IPL. He’s only recently been signed by a franchise but has featured in the Big Bash and England’s T20. Root recently announced his retirement as skipper of the England test team and that has been his main source of income over the years. He remains, however, as an important player within the international red ball set up.

The fact that he has a monthly salary of $400K underlines the value of central contracts. He’s been a prolific run scorer in the longest form of cricket and those salary numbers underline to young players that there is money to be made from the first class game.

Joe Root - August 11, 2013 in London, England.
CHESTER LE STREET, ENGLAND – August 11 2013: Joe Root batting during day three of the Investec Ashes 4th test match at The Emirates Riverside Stadium, on August 11, 2013 in London, England.

4. Eoin Morgan

  • Monthly Salary: $320k
  • Net Worth: $15 million

It’s only fair that a World Cup winning captain should be rewarded for his achievements and that’s been the case with Eoin Morgan. He has led England in both Limited Overs formats for many years now with the highlight coming in 2019.

Victory at that 2019 World Cup helped to boost an income which was backed by stints in the IPL. Morgan has now retired from the game, so he will shortly drop away from this list. He is currently commentating for Sky Sports Cricket, and has been spoken about as a potential coach, so he will continue to earn significantly from the game.

Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan

5. Rohit Sharma

  • Monthly Salary: $170k
  • Net Worth: $25 Million

Rohit Sharma inherited the Indian international captaincy from Virat Kohli and his salary figures increased significantly from that point. Like his predecessor, Rohit is also heavily involved with the IPL – skippering the Mumbai Indians franchise through most of their successful period.

While he’s at an advanced stage of his career, the fact that Rohit has just taken on the national captaincy means that we should see his salary figures increase.

ENGLAND - June 15 2013 - Rohit Sharma
EDGBASTON, ENGLAND – June 15 2013: India’s Rohit Sharma batting during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

6. Aaron Finch

  • Monthly Salary: $150k
  • Net Worth: $5.5 million

As a recent captain of Australia in the limited overs formats, Aaron Finch’s stock rose and he climbed the earnings table to claim a place on this list. He’s also been a regular player in the Indian Premier League for many years and he’s played in the Big Bash and other franchise cricket.

Finch excels in the T20 form of the game and his 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018 is the highest international T20 score of all time. He’s reaching the end of his career now, and Aaron Finch will likely spend more time in the commentary box than on the field, but he remains a top earner for now.

Aaron Finch and Mark Footitt
Aaron Finch and Mark Footitt

7. Kraigg Brathwaite

  • Monthly Salary: $80k
  • Net Worth: $9 million

Some of the figures on this list go to prove just how valuable international captaincy must be. Kraigg Brathwaite may be a new name to some but he is the leader of the West Indies in red ball cricket and is a very accomplished and patient batsman.

Once again, his efforts at test level underline that there is some serious money to be made in the red ball form of the game and it gives players in the longer format an incentive to progress.

8. Temba Bavuma

  • Monthly Salary: $70k
  • Net Worth: $2.3 million

Following on with a familiar pattern, we have South Africa’s Temba Bavuma. While he may be in led the national team in the short forms of cricket, Bavuma is not a player who is widely considered to be an option for T20 franchises around the world.

This continues to underline the importance of central contracts in all ICC nations. A salary of $70k is a significant figure and it’s the type of sum that may keep Bavuma away from the IPL and other tournaments if they were to make an inquiry about his services.

Temba Bavuma
Starc to Temba Bavuma

9. Kieron Pollard

  • Monthly Salary: $47k
  • Net Worth: $15 million

West Indian star all rounder Kieron Pollard ticks all of the boxes on this list. He has skippered his country and he is a big name for T20 franchises around the world.

Until recently, Pollard played for Mumbai Indians, the most successful team in IPL history, and he has played a role in many of their best performances. He’s also won the T20 World Cup with the West Indies so we should expect to see him rewarded financially with a salary of $47k and a net worth of some $15 million.

He’s now reached his late 30s but, as he focuses solely on the shorter forms of the game, we can expect Kieron Pollard to maintain his place in the list of Top Ten earners for some time to come. As his playing days draw to a close, Pollard has taken his first steps into coaching, and that will continue to boost his income from cricket.

10. Kane Williamson

  • Monthly Salary: $37k
  • Net Worth: $10 million

While they may be very different cricketers, Kane Williamson performs a very similar role to that of Kieron Pollard. He captains New Zealand at international level and we can always expect him to feature in the IPL.

In Williamson’s case, he has captained Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he switched to Gujarat Titans for an injury-hit IPL in 2024. He is in demand as a cricketer in many major T20 tournaments but his first commitment tends to be for New Zealand.

Kane Williamson will therefore command a high salary as a contracted player within the national set up and he supplements those figures with considerable payments via the Indian Premier League.

Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson

How Do Cricketers Earn Their Money?

Cricketers earn salaries in a number of different ways. Those at the top of the earnings charts will likely receive central contracts from their international governing bodies. This means that their domestic organizations can limit how much cricket they play, but it also pays a high salary in return.

They will also receive match fees, and it’s likely that a set of bonuses will also be in place. Player of the Match awards could also boost that income.

If a player signs for a domestic team, including T20 franchises, they will receive a salary and a signing on fee. The biggest earners will mainly include cricketers who feature in the richest competition of all – the Indian Premier League.

Like all athletes, the top cricketers also have the potential to earn money away from the game. They may advertise and endorse specific products. For example, Virat Kohli endorses a number of top brands including Audi, Philips and Puma.

Equipment developers will also send free bats, gloves and clothing. It’s all part of a rich source of income for the best cricketers in the world.