When it comes to the highest-paid cricket players in the world, they all play in the IPL (Indian Premier League). The IPL’s rising popularity and injection of cash mean players like Mitchell Starc get to sign big-time contracts.
Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is the highest-paid cricket player of 2025. His contract for $3.1 million broke the previous record set by Mitchell Starc in the 2024 IPL Auction. Lucknow Super Giants were the lucky club to secure his services.
He’s known for his aggressive batting and wicket-keeping ability. Pant had been a Grade A category player before he suffered a tragic car accident that kept him out of action since December 2022.
Since returning to action, he’s tied a record of six Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper and helped lead India to a T20 World Cup last June.
Shreyas Iyer is second on the list with his contract of $3.07 million. Iyer was signed by Punjab Kings during the 2025 IPL Auction to become the second-most expensive Indian cricketer ever. The top-order batter has been part of the international team since 2017.
Third on the list is batting all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer. Kolkata Knight Riders resigned Iyer for $2.72 million in the IPL auction. He’s been with Kolkata since 2021 and has been one of their scorers since.
Tied for fourth earning $2.06 million are Pat Cummins, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Cummins was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 IP auction. He’s also spent time in the U.S. playing in the growing Major League Cricket circuit.
Singh has been retained by Punjab Kings each auction cycle since his debut in 2018. Chahal was also signed by Punjab Kings in the recent auction but started his career with Mumbai Indians in 2011.
The IPL stands head and shoulders above all other cricket boards. Their estimated $2.25 billion net worth is almost thirty times more than Cricket Australia’s $79 million net worth.
The top-notch cricket and its popularity allow IPL clubs to continue pouring money into quality cricket players.
Ranking The Highest-Paid Cricket Players
Here is the list of the highest-paid cricket players of 2025. The list is compiled with data from ESPNCricInfo and IPLT20.
- Updated: February 25, 2025
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Organization | Total Compensation |
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper Batter | Lucknow Super Giants | IPL | INR 27 crore (USD $3.1 million) |
| 2 | Shreyas Iyer | Top order Batter | Punjab Kings | IPL | INR 26.75 crore (USD $3.07 million) |
| 3 | Venkatesh Iyer | Batting Allrounder | Kolkata Knight Riders | IPL | INR 23.75 crore (USD $2.72 million) |
| T-4 | Pat Cummins | Bowler | Sunrisers Hyderabad | IPL | INR 18 crore (USD $2.06 million) |
| T-4 | Arshdeep Singh | Bowler | Punjab Kings | IPL | INR 18 crore (USD $2.06 million) |
| T-4 | Yuzvendra Chahal | Bowler | Punjab Kings | IPL | INR 18 crore (USD $2.06 million) |
| 7 | Jos Buttler | Wicketkeeper Batter | Gujarat Titans | IPL | INR 15.75 crore (USD $1.81 million) |
| 8 | KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper Batter | Delhi Capitals | IPL | INR 14 crore (USD $1.61 million) |
| 9 | Trent Boult | Bowler | Mumbai Indians | IPL | INR 12.5 crore (USD $1.43 million) |
| 10 | Jofra Archer | Bowler | Rajasthan Royals | IPL | INR 12.5 crore (USD $1.43 million) |
| 11 | Josh Hazlewood | Bowler | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | IPL | INR 12.5 crore (USD $1.43 million) |
| 12 | Mohammad Siraj | Bowler | Gujarat Titans | IPL | INR 12.25 crore (USD $1.41 million) |
| T-13 | Harshal Patel | Bowler | Punjab Kings | IPL | INR 11.75 crore (USD $1.35 million) |
| T-13 | Mitchell Starc | Bowler | Delhi Capitals | IPL | INR 11.75 crore (USD $1.35 million) |
| 15 | Phil Salt | Wicketkeeper Batter | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | IPL | INR 11.5 crore (USD $1.32 million) |
| 16 | Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper Batter | Sunrisers Hyderabad | IPL | INR 11.25 crore (USD $1.29 million) |
| 17 | Marcus Stoinis | Batting Allrounder | Punjab Kings | IPL | INR 11 crore (USD $1.26 million) |
| 18 | Jitesh Sharma | Wicketkeeper Batter | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | IPL | INR 11 crore (USD $1.26 million) |
| 19 | T. Natarajan | Bowler | Delhi Capitals | IPL | INR 10.75 crore (USD $1.23 million) |
| T-20 | Kagiso Rabada | Bowler | Gujarat Titans | IPL | INR 10.75 crore (USD $1.23 million) |
| T-20 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bowler | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | IPL | INR 10.75 crore (USD $1.23 million) |
