IPL 2020 set to pay ₹358 crore across 125 Indian players, ₹197 crore to foreigners: Report

The much-awaited Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) is set to kick-off in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 19. The decision to move the tournament out of India was made recently due to the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country. IPL is the most lucrative T20 league in the world that yields hefty paycheques for participating cricketers. The upcoming IPL 2020 season is no different, as it will be yielding a collective sum of ₹555 crore (US$74 million) to all Indian and overseas players combined.

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IPL 2020: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma among biggest Indian beneficiaries

Around 125 Indian international and domestic players are participating in the IPL 2020. The Indian players are collectively set to earn ₹358 crore (approximately US$48 million) for representing their respective franchises. Indian captain Virat Kohli will be the highest-paid cricketer this season, as he will be taking home a cheque of ₹17 crore (US$2.4 million). He is followed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni and Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman was retained by his franchise for ₹15 crore (US$2.1 million). Interestingly, Rohit Sharma was retained by Mumbai Indians for the same amount.

MS Dhoni has been on a sabbatical break from competitive cricket since July 2019. His return to the game through IPL 2020 as CSK captain remains one of the most talked-about aspects of the tournament. MS Dhoni’s high-profile return to the field is expected to generate much interest and viewership from his fans.

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IPL 2020: Pat Cummins, Ben Stokes, Glenn Maxwell among richest overseas stars

Apart from 125 Indians, 62 foreign players are also set to participate in IPL 2020, including 17 Australians and 13 English cricketers. The 62 players are set to win over ₹197 crore (US$26 million) collectively between them. During the IPL 2020 auction, Australian pacer Pat Cummins generated the most interest from bidders. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped in the fast bowler after an intense bidding war for ₹15.5 crore (US$2.2 million). He was followed by Glenn Maxwell who joined Kings XI Punjab for ₹10.75 crore (US$1.5 million). Among richest retained players, English all-rounder Ben Stokes with ₹12.5 crore (US$1.8 million) and Australian batting duo of Steve Smith and David Warner with ₹12 crore (US$1.7 million) each are the biggest beneficiaries.

IPL 2020: UAE corona cases

According to the most recent UAE corona cases updates, around 375 new coronavirus positive patients emerged in the desert country on July 29 to take their overall tally to nearly 60,000. Statistically, the situation is better in UAE than in India, where the positive cases have risen to over 1.5 million. For player’s safety and precautionary measures amidst the rising UAE corona cases, the IPL 2020 will be played behind closed doors.

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Disclaimer: The above IPL 2020 salary and UAE corona cases information is sourced from various websites and media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the IPL 2020 salary and UAE corona cases.

Image credit: MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma picture from IPLT20.COM