One of the many reasons to closely follow this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The former India captain is among the most celebrated cricket stars around the world and even though he has long retired from international cricket, playing his last match in Indian colours in 2019, there have been several reports which suggest this could be his last dance for his franchise- the Chennai Super Kings.
Seems like his fans are also eager to catch every glimpse of him on the cricket field as the wicketkeeper-batter approached the end of his competitive cricket career. The same can be said as whenever Dhoni has stepped on to the field to bat, the viewership record has broken this season, such is the craze of the man in the country.
And now a recent report has claimed that Dhoni has emerged as the highest taxpayer from the state of Jharkhand. The Chennai Super Kings captain has reportedly paid taxes more than three times his IPL salary. The Income Tax Department has reported, has claimed in an IANS report, that Dhoni paid an impressive INR 38 crore in advance tax for the financial year 2022-23. Dhoni's IPL salary is capped at INR 12 crore per season.
The 41-year-old's estimated income for this year is set to be around 130 Crore. As per the information from IT department, there has not been any dip in Dhoni's annual income despite him announcing his retirement from international cricket. This isn't the first time that Dhoni has paid the highest tax from his state. In fact, ever since he has made his name as an international cricketer, year after year the man has paid the highest tax from the state.
However, what this also means is that Dhoni's primary source of income isn't the IPL deal with CSK. His endorsement deals form a bulk of his source of income. Apart from that he has diversified investment portfolio from gyms and football teams to production house and fintech companies which helps him afford the lifestyle that he continues to enjoy.