It is no more a secret that the Indian cricketers are paid very handsomely. Recently, BCCI doubled the salaries of top Indian players like Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Add to that, the huge amount they earn during the six weeks of the Indian Premier League and you are looking at a very impressive bank account. However, the question that has bothered most people is, what happens after retirement? While in other professions, an individual is at his peak, a cricketer has to think about retirement once he passes the 35-year mark.
READ | Team India’s domestic season gets record viewership, Australia series highest rated in BARC history with 1.1 bn gross impressions
Commentary has emerged as a lucrative option in that aspect. Ravi Shastri, Harsha Bhogle and Sunil Gavaskar have become household names with their powerful voices and you must be curious to know how much they earn. On Thursday evening BCCI released funds for to various stakeholders which include Test match centres, state bodies, match fee of India players besides salary of coaches and commentators. Here are the salaries of top Indian commentators:
1. Ravi Shastri: The former Indian captain who also served as the director of the Indian cricket team, is one of the best commentators in the world and not just in India. He was paid about Rs 56.93 lakhs for the series against England in 2016. He is currently in action in the Indian Premier League.
Here is Shastri at his usual best:
2. Sunil Gavaskar: The legendary Indian opener has been a constant face in the commentary box along with Ravi Shastri. Sunil Gavaskar has recently broken his serious image and emerged as a fun loving guy. He is salary is almost equal to that of Ravi Shastri and was paid Rs 56.93 lakhs approximately as well.
3. Sanjay Manjrekar: Once seen as the natural successor of Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar has faced some criticism in recent times, most notably from West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard. However, that hasn’t hurt his stocks as the former Indian batsman continues to earn Rs 42 lakhs.
Watch Manjrekar’s interesting pitch report:
4. L Sivaramakrishnan: Thinner than a wire, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is a magician with both ball as well as the mic in his hand. May it be Test cricket or T20s, he adds life to matches with charm. Funny as always, Sivaramakrishnan was paid about Rs 42 lakhs for the England series.