FORBES' 100 Kohli named in Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Kohli is the only cricketer to feature in the top 100. © Cricbuzz Indian captain Virat Kohli finds a place in Forbes' list of 100 highest-paid athletes for 2017-18 which is topped by US boxer Floyd 'Money' Mayweather. Kohli is ranked 83rd in the world with total earnings of USD 24 million and is the only cricketer in that list. Kohli's earnings are boosted by his various endorsement deals with the likes of Puma, Pepsi, Audi and Oakley. He also has his own youth fashion brand named WROGN launched in 2014. Kohli also is one of five Indians who are in the A+ category contract with the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI). The contract guarantees Kohli an annual retainer of USD 1 million. He is also a part of the IPL where he is contracted with Royal Challengers Bangalore for USD 2.65 million. Kohli, 29, is not just cricket-crazy India's biggest name but is also one of the most popular athletes in the world, "boasting more Twitter followers (25 million-plus) than all but three active sports stars", Forbes said. "Yet like the Indian cricket mega-stars who have come before him, Kohli's big payday comes off the pitch where he's partnered with top brands such as Puma, Pepsi, Audi and Oakley," Forbes said. Kohli jumped six places from his previous year's position as no women feature in the 100-athlete list. Previous Indians in the list include MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. Dhoni was ranked 13th in 2013 while Sachin came in at 51st the same year. Apart from the aforementioned trio, no Indians have featured in the richest list. Mayweather who earned USD 275 million for his August fight with Conor McGregor is the highest paid athlete in the world for the fourth time in the last seven years. Football stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo occupy the next two spots. Forbes' earnings figures include all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018. © Cricbuzz<doc-sep>India cricket team captain Virat Kohli is among the world's highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes. Kohli is the only sportsperson from India to be featured in the list. The Indian skipper is ranked 83rd with earnings of USD 24 million, according to the website. Surprisingly, the 'World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018' compilation is an all-male affair with no women being featured in the list. According to Forbes website www.forbes.com: "Athletes from 11 different sports made the cut. NBA stars lead the way with 40 basketball players among the top 100. It tops the record from one sport set just last year with 32 hoopsters (only 18 were on the 2016 list). The soaring NBA salaries are a result of an increased salary cap, driven by the league's $24 billion TV deal, which tipped off with the 2016-17 season". The 'World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018' list is topped by 41-year-old Mayweather, with USD 285 million earnings. "The NFL was the next most-represented sport with 18 athletes, led by Matt Ryan ($67.3 million) at ninth overall. Baseball (14 athletes), Soccer (9), Golf (5), boxing, tennis (4 each) and racing (3) also landed multiple stars in the top 100. For the third straight year, cricket (Virat Kohli, $24 million), mixed-martial arts (McGregor, $99 million) and track (Usain Bolt, $31 million) had one athlete make the grade. No NHL players or Nascar drivers earned $20 million during the past year," the website said. Forbes said tennis' female sportspersons Li Na, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams were list regulars but Li retired in 2014 and Sharapova is still dealing with the aftermath of a 15-month suspension for using a banned substance. Serena was the only woman to feature in the top 100 last year, but her prize money dropped from USD 8 million to USD 62,000 this year after she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis, in September. Kohli is not just cricket-crazy India's biggest name but is also one of the most popular athletes in the world, "boasting more Twitter followers (25 million-plus) than all but three active sports stars. Promoted This year the Indian national cricket board 'The Board of Control for Cricket in India' named Kohli as one of just five players to receive the newly-created A+ contracts, which guarantee an annual retainer of more than USD 1 million, it said. (With PTI inputs)<doc-sep>The 29-year-old Kohli is also the lone Indian on the annual list of the world's 100 highest paid athletes, published by Forbes magazine on Wednesday. New Delhi: India skipper Virat Kohli is the only cricketer among the world's highest paid athletes, according to a Forbes' compilation topped by American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Kohli is No.83 on this year's list with estimated earnings of $24 million, of which $20m is estimated to come from endorsements and the remaining $4m from his salary. Kohli was 89th on last year's list with estimated earnings of $22m. The list is headed by Mayweather, whose estimated earnings of $285m are more than double those of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi, who is second on the list with $111m. The list is dominated by athletes from America's NFL, NBA and MLB competitions, although the top five athletes -- Mayweather, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor and Neymar -- are from either football or combat sports. There are no female athletes on the list. Kohli's earnings are impressive, however he has yet to reach the heights of the man he replaced as India's skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who Forbes listed at 22 on their top 100 in 2014 with an annual pay packet of $30 million.<doc-sep>Basking in the afterglow of a recently unveiled wax statue at Madame Tussauds, Kohli now enjoys a privileged spot in the prestigious Forbes list. By Prarthana Mitra Among 100 sportsmen featured on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for 2018, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is the only Indian to make the list. Ranked at 83 with gross earnings of $24 million, Kohli features on the list alongside NBA stars, tennis and soccer players on a list topped by 41-year old boxer Floyd Mayweather whose earnings stand at $285 million. Basking in the afterglow of a recently unveiled wax statue at Madame Tussauds, Indian skipper Kohli now enjoys a privileged spot in the prestigious Forbes list. Earlier this year the Indian national cricket board named Kohli as one of the five players to receive the new contract which guarantees an annual retainer of more than $1 million. However, Kohli’s big payday comes “off the pitch,” says Forbes, referring to the retinue of high-profile endorsement deals he has signed with brands such as Puma, Pepsi, Audi and Oakley. Notable names on the list 40 NBA stars including regulars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant made the list this year. Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, who also plays for Barcelona is ranked second in the list, followed by Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi’s annual salary and bonus exceeded $80 million, making him the highest-paid player on the pitch this year. Ronaldo’s earnings stand at $108 million, trailing only Mayweather and Messi. Both stars have a slew of endorsement deals to further their hauls. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal feature the only racket players to feature in the top 20, which also includes notable golfer Tiger Woods. In terms of nationality, 66 of the athletes on this year’s list are from the United States. The top 100 earned $3.8 billion, a 23% jump from last year, according to Forbes. What can we do about the gender pay gap in sports? However, the list is a glaring reminder about the lack of women athletes, which only serves to underscore the humongous gender wage gap in sports. Forbes said tennis players Li Na, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams used to be list regulars until Li retired in 2014, Sharapova was suspended for the use of a banned substance, and Williams’ worth dropped from $8 million to $62,000 this year after giving birth. Men’s leagues generate more revenue, often owing to higher ratings and attendance, which can be traced back to cultural and historical bias and a pronounced lack of support and validation for women’s sporting events. With insufficient funds and no legitimacy, it becomes difficult to demand equal pay. So, all of us switching the TV channel whenever a women’s tournament comes on is equally culpable for the all-male affair exemplified by this year’s Forbes list. Prarthana Mitra is a staff writer at Qrius. Stay updated with all the insights. Navigate news, 1 email day. Subscribe to Qrius<doc-sep>
Virat Kohli is ranked 83rd in the list. (Source: BCCI) Virat Kohli is ranked 83rd in the list. (Source: BCCI) Virat Kohli is among the world’s highest-paid athletes, according to a Forbes’ compilation topped by American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Kohli, the only sportsperson from India to be featured in the list, is ranked 83rd with earnings of USD 24 million. Surprisingly, the ‘World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2018’ compilation is an all-male affair with no women being featured in the list. Kohli, 29, is not just cricket-crazy India’s biggest name but is also one of the most popular athletes in the world, “boasting more Twitter followers (25 million-plus) than all but three active sports stars”, Forbes said. The ‘World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2018’ list is topped by 41-year-old Mayweather, with USD 285 million earnings. This year the Indian national cricket board ‘The Board of Control for Cricket in India’ named Kohli as one of just five players to receive the newly-created A+ contracts, which guarantee an annual retainer of more than USD 1 million, it said. “Yet like the Indian cricket mega-stars who have come before him, Kohli’s big payday comes off the pitch” where he’s partnered with top brands such as Puma, Pepsi, Audi and Oakley, Forbes said. Forbes said tennis’ female sportspersons Li Na, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams were list regulars but Li retired in 2014 and Sharapova is still dealing with the aftermath of a 15-month suspension for using a banned substance. Williams was the only woman to feature in the top 100 last year, but her prize money dropped from USD 8 million to USD 62,000 this year after she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis, in September. This year 40 NBA players made the cut in Forbes’ annual look at the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes, breaking the record of 32 set last year by hoopsters. Mayweather heads the world’s highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in seven years, thanks to a USD 275 million payday for his August boxing match against UFC star Conor McGregor. NBA’s top earner LeBron James banked USD 85.5 million, including endorsements, over the last 12 months to rank sixth among the highest-paid athletes. Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi is ranked second in the list, followed by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi’s annual salary and bonus exceeded USD 80 million, making him the highest-paid player on the pitch this year. He ranks second overall with USD 111 million, including USD 27 million through endorsement deals with Adidas, Gatorade, Pepsi and Huawei. Ronaldo’s USD 108 million haul over the past 12 months trails only Mayweather and Messi. Brazilian soccer player Neymar is the third soccer star in the top five. He jumps 13 spots to fifth with an income of USD 90 million, including USD 19 million from endorsement partners. Others on the list are American basketball player LeBron James (6), Tennis star Roger Federer (7), golfer Tiger Woods (16), tennis player Rafael Nadal (20) and golfer Rory McIlroy (26). Forbes said it was harder than ever to qualify for the 100 highest-paid athletes, with the cutoff up USD 1.5 million to USD 22.9 million. The top 100 earned USD 3.8 billion, a 23 per cent jump over last year. Salaries and prize money are up significantly, but endorsement earnings fell for the second straight year to USD 877 million as companies watch their sports marketing budgets. The top 100 has an international flavour with athletes from 22 countries, but Americans dominate the action with 66 making the cut thanks to sky-high salaries in baseball, basketball and football. Those three sports had a combined 72 entries, Forbes added.