Cricket superstar, Virat Kohli remains the only Indian to feature in the top 100 of the highest-paid athletes of 2020 put forth by Forbes Magazine. With total earnings of USD 26 million, he jumped from 100 to 66th spot in the 2020 rankings.
Kohli’s earnings from endorsements stand at USD 24 million and USD 2 million from salary/winnings. The 31-year-old is considered one of the best batsmen in the world and is the Captain of the Indian Cricket team. Notably, he is the only cricketer in the top 100 list.
The factors which were used for Forbes calculation from June 1, 2019, to June 1, 2020, were athlete’s revenue, including salary, prize money, contract bonuses, endorsements, royalties, and appearance fees.
This is the third consecutive year than Kohli has been featured in the Forbes top 100 list. While in 2019, he was ranked 100th with USD 25 million, in 2018, he was ranked 83rd with USD 24 million.
Virat Kohli has 134 million followers on Twitter Facebook and Instagram. His prominence helps him earn more than $20 million annually from endorsement partners like Audi, Puma, MRF, and more.
Meanwhile, the exemplary tennis icon, Roger Federer has topped the list for the first time with earnings of USD 106.3 million. He was ranked 5th on the list last year. Football icons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively, with earnings of USD 105 and USD 104 million.
The others in the top 10 are Neymar (Football), LeBron James (Basketball), Stephen Curry (Basketball), Kevin Durrant (Basketball), Tiger Woods (Golf), Kirk Cousins (American Football), and Carson Wentz (American Football).
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the suspension of various sporting events and activities all around the world has affected the athletes’ earnings for this year.
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