Rishabh Pant becomes Uttarakhand's highest taxpayer, pays ₹23.84 Crore in taxes

Rishabh Pant has once again topped Uttarakhand's list of individual taxpayers. For the financial year 2025-26, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter paid ₹23.84 crore in income tax, making him the state's highest individual tax contributor. This is not the first time Pant has held this position — he retained his top spot from the previous year as well.

The announcement was made by the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Uttarakhand, at an event held to mark Income Tax Day. Along with topping the individual category, Pant also ranked fourth on the state's overall list of non-corporate taxpayers. In the corporate category, oil giant ONGC took the top spot, paying a massive ₹13,564 crore in taxes — by far the largest contribution from any company in the state.

The Income Tax Department used the occasion to recognise Uttarakhand's leading taxpayers, both corporate and individual, for their consistent contributions. Pant's continued presence at the top of the individual list reflects his rising earnings, driven largely by his IPL salary and a growing list of brand endorsements. The department's felicitation ceremony honoured several other top contributors from the state as well.

How much does Rishabh Pant actually earn? Breaking down his IPL salary & endorsements

Rishabh Pant's IPL salary tells a story that goes beyond big numbers on an auction screen. It shows how a young wicketkeeper from Roorkee turned raw talent into one of the biggest paychecks in Indian cricket. His rise did not happen overnight, and every rupee added to his contract came from performances that franchises simply could not ignore.

According to the Income Tax Department, Pant paid ₹23.84 crore in taxes, the highest among individual taxpayers in Uttarakhand. He earns through multiple sources, including his BCCI contract, IPL salary, match fees, and commercial endorsement deals. This year's tax payment is more than double what he paid last year, when he topped the list with around ₹10.5 crore in advance tax.

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Beyond his IPL earnings, Pant also draws a steady income from international cricket. He holds an annual retainer of ₹3 crore under the BCCI's Grade B central contract, along with match fees of ₹15 lakh per Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI, and ₹3 lakh per T20I. Together, these earnings explain why his tax contribution keeps climbing year after year.

Pant's commercial appeal has also grown sharply since his return to cricket after his accident. Brands see him as a fighter and a fan favourite, and this image has translated directly into bigger deals. He now charges an estimated ₹3.5 crore to ₹4 crore per major endorsement, with his total annual endorsement earnings ranging between ₹20 crore and ₹25 crore.

His endorsement portfolio includes a mix of sportswear, fintech, food delivery, and consumer electronics brands, led by Adidas and Dream11, along with boAt, JSW Cement, Cadbury, Zomato, Noise, Realme, and MakeMyTrip. He also serves as the face of The Pant Project, further reflecting his strong market appeal well beyond the boundary line.

Rishabh Pant's Complete Earnings Breakdown

(Note: Endorsement figures are industry estimates and not officially disclosed by Pant or the brands.)

Who else features on Uttarakhand's top taxpayers list this year?

The Income Tax Day event was inaugurated by Principal Chief Income Tax Commissioner, Kanpur, Aparna Karan. She said honest tax-paying citizens form the backbone of the country's economy, and that infrastructure, development schemes, and public welfare programs all depend on taxpayer contributions. She added that honouring honest taxpayers serves as an inspiration for both society and the nation.

Alongside Rishabh Pant, several other organisations and individuals were recognised for their contributions:

Top corporate taxpayers of Uttarakhand:

• ONGC — ₹13,564 Crore
• THDC — ₹277 Crore
• UJVNL — ₹123 Crore
• India Optel — ₹99 Crore
• Pitkul — ₹54 Crore

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Top non-corporate taxpayers of Uttarakhand:

• Signature Phytochemicals Industries — ₹54.00 Crore
• Kailash River Bed Minerals — ₹40.74 Crore
• Uttaranchal Gramin Bank — ₹28.95 Crore
• Rishabh Pant — ₹23.84 Crore
• ALF Engineering Company — ₹23.44 Crore

Principal Income Tax Commissioner, Dehradun, Sunita Singh, said there is a need to further strengthen trust and cooperation between taxpayers and the Income Tax Department, adding that building awareness and a sense of responsibility toward tax payment among the youth is the need of the hour. Chief Income Tax Commissioners Dr Renuka Jain Gupta and Shefali Swarup also addressed the event, where departmental employees staged a play titled "Notice Period" to applause from the audience. Winners of the painting and story-writing competitions were also honoured, and Income Tax Commissioner (Appeals) SK Chatterjee closed the event with a vote of thanks.

From Roorkee to record books: Pant's journey as Uttarakhand's biggest taxpayer

Rishabh Pant's story begins in Roorkee, a small town in Uttarakhand, far from the bright lights of the IPL auction stage. From playing local cricket to earning a spot in the Indian team, his journey has been built on grit, fearless batting, and a strong comeback after his 2022 accident.

That same journey has now made him the state's biggest individual taxpayer, not once but for the second year running. His ₹23.84 crore tax payment this year reflects how far he has come, both as a cricketer and as one of India's highest-earning sportspersons.

In many ways, Pant's rise mirrors the trust fans have placed in him over the years. From a small-town boy to a record-holding taxpayer, his story stands as proof that consistency, both on the field and off it, truly pays off.