Wicket-keeping was earlier considered a thankless job in cricket because it was very tough for a player to keep the wickets for hundreds of overs in Test match cricket. It required good keeping skills as well as high fitness levels. As the years have passed, keeping has transformed from specialization to part-time roles.
Now, the batsmen try to learn the glove work so that they could sneak into their team’s playing XI. The IPL franchises have still liked to have multiple wicket-keeping options in their squad. A few wicket-keepers have even earned a lot of money because of their excellence in batting and keeping.
In this article, we will list down the top five wicket-keeper batsmen who have made the most money by playing in the IPL.
5.Brendon McCullum – 39.84 Crores
Former New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum had set the tone for the IPL with a once in a lifetime innings against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the next season, he captained KKR in a few matches.
McCullum played for the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Lions in his prime. He earned his maximum salary of 5.5 Crores while playing for the Gujarat Lions in 2017. Overall, McCullum earned a little less than 40 Crores as a player in the IPL. Currently, he is serving as the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
4.Sanju Samson – 40.58 Crores
The Kolkata Knight Riders had signed Sanju Samson for only 8 lakhs in the 2012 IPL season. Still, they released him before allowing him to showcase his talent.
Next year, the Rajasthan Royals grabbed his services for 10 lakhs, and he became a big name in the IPL. Samson’s salary rose gradually and currently, he makes 8 Crores per season playing for the Jaipur-based franchise.
3.Dinesh Karthik – 68.52 Crores
Veteran Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has played for multiple franchises in his IPL career. He started his journey with the Delhi Daredevils, and then played for the Kings XI Punjab, the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Gujarat Lions, and currently is a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Karthik’s first IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils signed him for a whopping 12.50 Crores in 2014. Next year, RCB signed him for 10.50 Crores. These two contracts have played a massive role in his earning.
2.AB de Villiers – 91.51 Crores
South African wicket-keeper batsman AB de Villiers has retired from international cricket. But he is still playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
RCB pay him 11 Crores per season since 2018. Before that, he made 9.5 Crores for donning the RCB jersey in one season. Thus, he is close to the 100 Crores mark on this list.
1.MS Dhoni – 137.84 Crores
Thala MS Dhoni is not only the highest-paid wicket-keeper in IPL history, but he is also the highest-paid player in the last 13 years. Dhoni has earned 137.84 Crores playing for the Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant.
His current salary is 15 Crores, while he was the most expensive player in the 2008 Auction. Since he will play in the 2021 season for CSK, he will probably become the first player to earn 150 Crores by playing in the IPL.
