Currently, Virat Kohli, the renowned batsman from Team India, holds the title of the world’s highest-paid cricketer. However, he falls short in earnings compared to a female athlete on the list of Highest Paid Asian Sportspersons in 2023, who outshines him by approximately $20 million.
According to Sportico’s Top 100 highest-paid athletes list for 2022, only two Asian athletes managed to secure spots, with the majority dominated by players from the US and Europe. Virat Kohli secured the 61st position on this list, whereas Japanese tennis sensation Naomi Osaka claimed an impressive 20th rank, making her the top-paid Asian athlete according to Sportico.
Kohli’s total earnings of $33.9 million consist of $2.9 million in salary from the Indian team and the Royal Challengers Bangalore Franchise, along with an additional $31 million from endorsements. This resulted in him slipping two positions compared to his 59th rank in the highest-paid athlete list of 2021.
In contrast, Naomi Osaka’s earnings amount to $53.2 million, with $1.2 million from prize money and a substantial $52 million from endorsements. She is also the second-highest-paid tennis player on the list, despite dropping five positions from her 15th rank in 2021.
Impressively, at just 25 years old, Osaka has already won four grand slams, including two US Opens and two Australian Opens in her relatively short career. Her most recent grand slam victory came in 2021 when she triumphed over Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open.
Virat Kohli, with a net worth exceeding 1,000 crore, has been showing promising signs of returning to his prime form. Recently, he demonstrated his prowess by scoring a century and maintaining consistent performances in the IND vs. WI test series.
Furthermore, he excelled in the IPL 2023, amassing a staggering 639 runs in 14 matches with an incredible average of 53.25, comprising two centuries and six fifties during the cash-rich league.