In the history of the sport, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni have emerged as some of the highest paid and wealthiest cricketers of all time, with net worths of over Rs 1000 crore each. However, another Indian cricketer named Bhupinder Singh was wealthier than all three of them combined.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was the king of Patiala (Punjab) during the 1900s under British rule, and belonged to one of the wealthiest royal families in the country. Apart from being a Maharaja, Singh was also one of India’s first prominent cricketers.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh used to play first-class cricket in his teens and early 20s and was also the captain of the Indian cricket team. What many people don’t know that even decades ago, he was wealthier and had a higher net worth than MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
Bhupinder Singh was crowned the Maharaja of Patiala at the age of just 9 after his father passed away, and is often known for having a colorful and lavish lifestyle. He is also the first Indian cricketer to own a private jet, and built an airstrip in his kingdom for his aircraft.
The Maharaja played dozens of first class cricket matches, and was the captain of the Indian cricket team in 1911, at the age of 20. Even though endorsement deals and sponsorships didn’t exist at the time, Bhupinder Singh built an enormous kingdom with his wealth.
According to reports, the Indian cricketer gave the largest ever order to jewelry brand Cartier till date, and was the owner of the ultra-expensive ‘Patiala Necklace’. He also owned jewels and gemstones worth over Rs 22,000 crore, as per his Wikipedia page.
While his exact net worth is not known in current valuation, the Maharaja used to live in a palace worth over Rs 350 crore, and had a net worth in billions, much larger than current Indian cricketers.
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