India’s most successful captain is a true legend of the game. Aside from international cricket, he is also well known for his impact in the Indian Premier League (IPL). At his peak, MS Dhoni belonged to BCCI’s top bracket and was a recipient of the extremely lucrative central contract. He was also usually one of the highest valued players in IPL auctions and made a ridiculous amount of money while he played in the world’s richest cricket league.
IND vs AUS: How did MS Dhoni Become the Highest Earning IPL Player?
After MS Dhoni led the Indian cricket team to victory in the 2007 T20I world cup, he became the costliest player in 2008’s IPL auction. He was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 6 Crores ($1.5 million). Fast forward to today, that amount is used to buy uncapped players as well. However, back then, it was an unimaginable amount of money for playing in a 2 month long tournament. MS Dhoni also proved to be worth the money that the Chennai Super Kings spent on him as he led the team to the final of the tournament. He also won the IPL trophy with the Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011. MS Dhoni was such a dominant force during the first three IPL seasons that he became a legend of the tournament across the country. His success in the IPl coincided with great success in the International level as well, leading to the nickname of “Captain Cool”. He became a household name in India and his IPL earnings are way more than any other player’s.
During his IPL career, MS Dhoni earned over INR 137 Crores. This doesn’t even include the financial benefits that come based on accomplishments such as e Man of the Match, maximum sixes, etc. However, his earnings increased significantly as the former Indian team captain earned approximately Rs 8.2 crore per season from IPL 2011 to 2013.
The BCCI’s policy change in 2014 also boosted the first choice retention fees to INR 12.5 Crores per year. That led to MS Dhoni earning ridiculous amounts of money in 2014 and 2015 as well. During his two year stint with the Pune Supergiants, he earned the same amount. His last drawn salary with the Chennai Super Kings was Rs 15 Crores.
Mumbai Indians stalwart Rohit Sharma is second in career IPL earnings with INR 131 crores. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli is in third place with career IPL earnings of Rs 126 Crores. An important thing to remember is the fact that Kohli is currently the most expensive player in the IPL so he might end up eclipsing both Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni’s total earnings.