Virat Kohli among world's highest-paid athletes: Watch Forbes featured list
New Delhi : Fans’ of India cricketer Virat Kohli might be partying around as their beloved Kohli has won the title of world's highest-paid athletes. Forbes has mentioned Kohli as the only sportsperson from India who is ranked 83rd with earnings of USD 24 million.
Interestingly, the 'World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018' compilation is an all-male affair and no women have been featured in the list.
Virat Kohli who is 29, is not a big name in India but is also one of the most popular athletes in the world, "boasting more Twitter followers (25 million-plus) than all but three active sports stars", Forbes said.
The 'World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018' list is topped by 41-year-old Mayweather, with USD 285 million earnings.
This year the Indian national cricket board 'The Board of Control for Cricket in India' named Kohli as one of just five players to receive the newly-created A+ contracts, which guarantee an annual retainer of more than USD 1 million, it said.
"Yet like the Indian cricket mega-stars who have come before him, Kohli's big payday comes off the pitch" where he's partnered with top brands such as Puma, Pepsi, Audi and Oakley, Forbes said.
Forbes said tennis' female sportspersons Li Na, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams were list regulars but Li retired in 2014 and Sharapova is still dealing with the aftermath of a 15-month suspension for using a banned substance.
Williams was the only woman to feature in the top 100 last year, but her prize money dropped from USD 8 million to USD 62,000 this year after she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis, in September.
