Virat Kohli overtakes Tendulkar, MS Dhoni in Forbes India top 100 celebrity 2017 list
Mumbai: Virat Kohli has not only matured into one of the world-class batsmen in modern day cricket, but his name has also grown as a brand in an ever-growing sports industry. The Indian skipper keeps shattering new records every time he takes the pitch, and fame and success never look like leaving his shadow.
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Kohli is the most handsomely paid Indian cricketer and regularly bags fat payslip through lucrative contracts and brand endorsements. In a top 100 list released by Forbes India of the celebrities with highest earnings in 2017, Virat Kohli occupies the 3rd spot.
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Placed behind the two biggest Khans of Bollywood (Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan), the 29-year-old has bagged a total of Rs. 100.72 crore this year. The dashing right-hander has various sources of income – an ‘A’ grade contract by the BCCI (awarded only to the best players), additional allowance for captaining Team India, IPL contract and about 20 brand endorsements.
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Here is the list of the top 10 highest earning celebrities for 2017:
1. Salman Khan – 232.83
2. Shah Rukh Khan – 170.5
3. Virat Kohli – 100.72
4. Akshay Kumar – 98.25
5. Sachin Tendulkar – 82.5
6. Aamir Khan – 68.75
7. Priyanka Chopra – 68
8. MS Dhoni – 63.77
9. Hrithik Roshan – 63.12
10. Ranveer Singh – 62.63
Two other cricketers feature in the top 10 list, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. The Master Blaster is placed at no.5 with earnings of Rs 82.5 crore, while Dhoni takes the no.8 spot with earnings of Rs. 63.7 crore. Mind you, Kohli is the youngest among the top 10.