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In the last couple of decades, the game of cricket has started to pull in big investments from the business world, thanks majorly to the advent of franchise leagues all over the world. This has meant that many top cricketers have been able to amass a lot of wealth out of the sport.
Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni are two of the biggest personalities in the sport, who are looked upon as the richest cricketers in the world. According to certain estimations, the net worth of Tendulkar stands at INR 1250 Crore, while for Dhoni, it stands at INR 1040 Crore.
But to the surprise of many, the crown of the richest cricketer in the world goes to a first-class player called Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, who was born in 1967. He is a member of the well-known Gaekwad family in Baroda (Vadodara), Gujarat.
As the sole heir of Ranjitsingh Gaekwad and Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad, he became “Maharaja” after his father died in 2012. With that, Samarjitsinh Gaekwad inherited his fortune, worth over INR 20,000 Crore.
The 55-year-old is currently the head of the royal family in Baroda. He owns the Laxmi Vilas Palace, which is known as the largest privately-owned residence in the world. Samarjitsinh Gaekwad also oversees the 17 temple trusts located in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
Samarjitsinh Gaekwad played Ranji Trophy cricket for Baroda
The Maharaja has represented his side Baroda at the Ranji Trophy level from the 1987-88 to 1988-89 seasons. He played six matches for the team, scoring 119 runs at an average of 17 with the highest score of 65.
