In a twist of fate, MS Dhoni relinquished his role as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024, passing the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad. The franchise made the announcement official through a statement on their website. “MS Dhoni has entrusted Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of TATA IPL 2024.
Ruturaj has been a pivotal member of Chennai Super Kings since 2019, featuring in 52 IPL matches during this tenure,” the statement affirmed.
This isn’t the first instance of Chennai Super Kings commencing a season with a new captain. In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja led the team, only to be succeeded by MS Dhoni amid initial struggles. However, in the current season, under Gaikwad’s leadership, the Chennai Super Kings secured victories against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.
Let’s delve into the financial landscape of the young captain, including his earnings from IPL and BCCI contracts, endorsements, and more.
BCCI Contract
In the player contracts for the 2023-2024 season released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Ruturaj Gaikwad secured a Grade C contract, fetching him an annual salary of Rs 1 crore. Other recipients of similar contracts include Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson, and Ravi Bishnoi, among others.
IPL Earnings
Ruturaj Gaikwad made his IPL debut in 2020, pocketing INR 20 lakhs in his maiden season. However, his income soared when Chennai Super Kings retained him in 2021. According to Sportskeeda, the 27-year-old cricketer commands approximately Rs 6 crore from his contract with CSK.
Brand Endorsements
Since his international debut against Sri Lanka in July 2021, the right-handed batsman has become a prominent figure in cricket circles. He boasts endorsements with brands like GoKratos, Games 24X7, Social Offline, and Electro Plus, substantially augmenting his net worth annually.
Domestic Cricket
Beyond his earnings from BCCI and IPL contracts and various endorsements, Ruturaj Gaikwad also rakes in a significant sum from domestic cricket. As per Sportskeeda, he earned between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh per month in 2024.
Net Worth
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s estimated net worth hovers around Rs 36 crore, according to Sportskeeda and publicly available data. He was retained by IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings for Rs 6 crore in 2021, maintaining the same figure in the subsequent two IPL seasons.
