Cricket may not be the most widely played sport globally, but it has certainly created icons in the form of players like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar. These three remain some of the most renowned cricketers ever produced by India. While their wealth has come from their cricket careers, a big portion also comes from brand endorsements. In a frank discussion with a few retired English cricketers, former India coach Ravi Shastri was asked about the earnings of such players. His response surprised everyone.

Shastri also mentioned that stars like Dhoni, Kohli, and Tendulkar had the potential to sign many more brand partnerships during their peak years. However, due to their incredibly packed schedules, finding the time for extra advertisements was often a challenge.

Michael Vaughan asked Shastri on the Stick To Cricket Podcast, “What kind of earnings do these superstars in India make?” The former India coach responded, “They earn a big amount, especially through endorsements, easily crossing 100 crores.”

When asked, “Which is how much?”, Shastri replied, “Well, that’s about 10 million.”

One reaction to this figure was, “Wow!”

Shastri continued, “Yeah, 10 million pounds. I just estimate 100 rupees as one pound. So, if you do the math, they can make even more than that.”

Shastri shared on the podcast, “Someone like MS, Virat, or even Sachin in their prime would do 15 to 20 ads, and that’s just in a day. There’s no time to rest. With the amount of cricket being played, they couldn’t do more. For instance, they’d shoot an ad in a day.”