Former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has become the highest tax payer in the country for the financial year 2023-24.
Kohli paid nearly three times more than the most expensive player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction last year, Mitchell Starc, who was sold for Rs 24.75 crore.
Virat Kohli is currently on break after the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He will return for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
The first Test will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 19, followed by the second Test at Kanpur on September 27.
Virat Kohli Becomes Highest Tax Paying Indian Sportsperson
According to Fortune India, Virat Kohli paid Rs 66 crore in taxes for the financial year. Overall, the 35-year-old is the fifth-highest tax-paying celebrity.
Shah Rukh Khan (Rs 92 crore), Vijay (Rs 80 crore), Salman Khan (Rs 75 crore) and Amitabh Bachchan (Rs 71 crore) paid more than Kohli.
His former World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni is seventh on the list. Dhoni paid Rs 38 crore in tax for the financial year ending March 31, 2024.
Despite retiring from international cricket in 2020, the veteran wicket-keeper remains one of India’s highest-paid sportsmen.
Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian cricketer in the top 10 highest tax payers after Kohli and Dhoni. Sachin paid Rs 28 crore in tax for the financial year 2023-24.
Sourav Ganguly, former Indian captain and former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), paid Rs 23 crore.
The list of top taxpayers also includes current Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant.
Hardik Pandya paid Rs 13 crore and Rishabh Pant Rs 10 crore. Both the players were in contention for the Indian captaincy but the board did not back them for the role.
Complete List of Highest Tax Paying Indian Cricketers
Virat Kohli – Rs 66 mln
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Rs 38 crore
Sachin Tendulkar – Rs 28 crore
Sourav Ganguly – Rs 23 crore
Hardik Pandya – Rs 13 crore
Rishabh Pants – Rs 10 million
Virat Kohli Has Shown Amazing Performances Over The Last Year
Virat Kohli has been in excellent performances over the last one year. He topped the batting charts with 765 runs and was named Player of the Tournament in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup.
However, the Men in Blue lost to Australia in the final match of the ICC ODI tournament at Ahmedabad.
The right-handed batsman helped the team to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa.
Kohli played a decisive knock of 76 off 59 balls in the final. The star-studded player was adjudged the Player of the Match as India won their second T20 World Cup title by seven runs.
Also read: Sanju Samson replaces Ishan Kishan in D squad for Duleep Trophy 2024; He is benched by Shreyas Iyer
