Top 4 highest-paid IPL players of all time ft Shane Warne
From Shane Warne to modern stars, here’s a look at the top 4 highest-paid IPL players of all time and the massive deals that defined their careers.
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is all set to commence on March 28, and the match is between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at 7.30 PM IST. The match is scheduled at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Amidst the start of the tournament, RCB and RR have been acquired by two different consortia for USD 1.8 billion and 1.6 billion, respectively.
These are two of the biggest deals in the tournament's history. Meanwhile, this has impacted former cricketer Shane Warne's salary as well. In this article, we will talk about the four players with the highest salaries in IPL history.
Top 4 players with highest salaries in IPL history
4. MS Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s former skipper MS Dhonicontinues to play in the tournament as a wicket-keeper batter. If we look at his salary, reports suggest that he has earned around INR 192.84 crore in 18 seasons of the tournament. He started as one of the highest-earning players in the league. However, in 2025, he was retained by CSK for INR 4 crores, which is the lowest salary of his career.
The former skipper is one of the most successful players in the league's history, winning five trophies for the team. Now, he is playing under Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhoni has played in all 19 seasons of the tournament, without missing even one.
See Also: Rajasthan Royals to pay ₹450 crore to Shane Warne’s family ahead of IPL 2026
3. Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians (MI)'s former captain Rohit Sharma is also one of those players who has earned a whopping amount from the tournament. So far, he has earned INR 211.20 crores in the tournament. He has helped MI win the tournament five times. He took over the captaincy in 2013, and since then, they have won a lot of trophies.
Currently, he is retained by the MI for ₹16.30 crore. Previously, he earned ₹16 crore per season between 2022 and 2024. He is among the highest-paid players in the tournament's history. Rohit started playing for MI in the 2011 season.
2. Virat Kohli
IPL's leading run-scorer, Virat Kohli, is one of the highest-paid cricketers in the league, earning a record-breaking ₹21 crore (INR 210 million) for the 2025 and 2026 IPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He was retained as their top player. He has been with RCB since the inaugural 2008 season, with his total accumulated IPL salary earnings exceeding ₹230 crore.
He was the skipper of the team but failed to win the trophy. However, RCB did win their maiden title in the previous season. Kohli has been one of the most consistent players in the tournament, scoring runs in almost all the seasons.
1. Shane Warne
Former cricketer Shane Warne is another outstanding bowler who played for four seasons with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) from 2008. They won the inaugural season of the tournament under his leadership. While he took a minimal salary of approximately ₹9.35 crore (roughly USD 657,000) in direct salary for playing four seasons, he negotiated a 0.75% equity stake per season, leading to a 3% total ownership. Now, following the team's 2026 sale, it is worth roughly Rs 450-460 crore for his family.
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