Celebrity net worth: Virat Kohli still rules the cricket world

India batsman has dominated the game and also has a massive social media following

Virat Kohli remains one of the biggest names in cricket - on and off the field. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Virat Kohli is no longer the captain of the Indian team but he is still the king of cricket.

The star batsman has broken many records with the bat and is seen as a pioneer in cricket, combining his aggressive style with a fanatic dedication to fitness and one of the biggest social media footprints in the world to create a brand like no other.

As of today, Kohli has 253 million followers on Instagram alone, to go with 56.4m on Twitter and 51m on Facebook. His social media reach – the third most popular sports person on Instagram behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – in itself is significant enough to attract the attention of top brands.

With Kohli still performing at a high level – for India and his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore – he remains one of the top earners on and off the field.

But how much does Kohli earn in total, and what is his net worth?

Bengaluru-based trading and investing company StockGro calculated Kohli's total earnings and also provided a breakdown of his assets.

How much does Virat Kohli earn?

Kohli receives a retainer of 70 million rupees ($850,000) from the Indian cricket board. That is apart from the match fees (1.5m rupees per Test, 600,000 rupees for an ODI and 300,000 rupees for a T20) that he earns.

His biggest payday comes from the IPL where he earns 150m rupees ($1.8m) playing for Bangalore.

Then, there are the endorsements. Kohli, 34, has close to 20 brand deals in place, for which he charges around $1m per campaign.

Social media is another major source of revenue, with StockGro stating that Kohli charges a little over $1m for every plug on Instagram.

Apart from these, Kohli has investments in clothing and athleisure brands (Wrogn and One8), restaurants, and local franchise teams in various sports.

Kohli also owns property worth 1.1 billion rupees ($13.4m), plus a range of luxury cars worth a little under $4m.

What is Kohli's total net worth?

According to estimates, Kohli has a net worth of 10 billion rupees ($122m). That makes him one of the most successful athletes in the world.

Highest-paid athletes of 2023

Forbes published the list of the highest-paid athletes for 2023. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list after his much-publicised move to the Saudi Pro League.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million)

2. Lionel Messi ($130 million)

3. Kylian Mbappe ($120 million)

4. LeBron James ($119.5 million)

5. Canelo Alvarez ($110 million)

6. Dustin Johnson ($107 million)

7. Phil Mickelson ($106 million)

8. Stephen Curry ($100.4 million)

9. Roger Federer ($95.1 million)

10. Kevin Durant ($89.1 million)

Note: In 2022, Forbes estimated that Kohli earned $33 million from salary and endorsements.