The recently released Indian sports salaries report has revealed some intriguing details about the distribution of money within the country’s sporting hierarchy. Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt surprisingly tops the list among Indians, earning Rs 1.65 lakh per minute during his 2015 Pro Wrestling League stint.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal top the list, garnering Rs 26 crore each at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). The survey conducted by the Research services agency, put Dutt ahead of cricketers M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli, despite their widespread popularity. The duo earns Rs 75,000 per minute.
A total of Rs 823 crore was paid out by franchises across eight different sports leagues. The survey also highlighted the major disparity between domestic and foreign players. Domestic players earn Rs 296 crore via salaries, whereas foreign players rack up around Rs 527 crore.
The player division adds up to a total of 857 players, with 521 Indians and 336 foreigners across the eight leagues. The total dispensed salary amount of Rs 1,100 crore is also equivalent to 75 per cent of India’s sports budget.
IPTL has the highest average salary of Rs 5.5 crore per player, closely followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL). A total of 169 cricketers amassed IPL’s total salary amount at Rs 419.5 crore.
In terms of TRP, the Pro Wrestling League took the honours, ahead of the Pro Kabaddi League and IPL. Other leagues included in the survey were Champions Tennis League (CTL), Premier Badminton League (PBL), Hockey India League (HIL) and the Indian Super League (ISL).
