Kohli sole Indian in Forbes list of highest paid athletes

TIL Desk Sports/ Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole sportsperson from the country to feature among the world’s 100 highest paid athletes in the latest Forbes list topped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kohli, 28, has been ranked 89th on the 2017 Forbes list of ‘The World’s highest paid athletes’ with a total pay of USD 22 million that includes USD three million from salary and winnings and another 19 million from endorsements.

Describing Kohli as the “Indian cricket phenom”, Forbes said the sports star has “for good reason” already drawn comparisons to all-time great Sachin Tendulkar. It added that Kohli has continuously shattered batting records and in 2015 was named the captain of the Indian national team, making him one of the youngest players to ever hold the job.

It noted that last year Kohli made nearly USD 1 million in salary and match fees from his national team play, and he’s also among the Indian Premier League’s highest-paid players thanks to a USD 2.3 million salary from the Royal Challengers Bangalore. “The vast majority of his income, however, comes from one of the sports world’s most impressive sponsorships portfolios,” Forbes said.