World’s Richest Cricketer: Retired at 22, Earned Rs.70,000 Crore, Richer Than Tendulkar, Kohli, and Dhoni
World’s Richest Cricketer: Retired at 22, Earned ₹70,000 Crore, Richer Than Tendulkar, Kohli, and Dhoni
Cricket, being India’s most cherished sport, serves not only as a source of national pride but also as a means to significant financial success. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Virat Kohli have built massive brands and are celebrated as some of the greatest players of their time. However, surprisingly, they are not the wealthiest in the country.
Aryaman Birla, with an incredible net worth of ₹70,000 crore, surpasses these cricketing icons. As the son of Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Aryaman comes from one of India’s most influential industrial families.
His journey, which began on the cricket field, saw him debuting in the 2017-18 season for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He then joined the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL after being acquired for ₹30 lakh. Despite his cricketing aspirations, Aryaman has since transitioned into a successful entrepreneurial career.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Aryaman played in nine first-class matches, scoring a total of 414 runs, which included one century and one half-century. In List A cricket, he participated in four matches, managing to score only 36 runs. Despite showing potential, Aryaman decided to step away from professional cricket in 2019 for personal reasons. He spent two seasons with the Rajasthan Royals but did not make his IPL debut and was eventually released by the team.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Birla mentioned that he felt more at ease when people began to recognize him for his performance rather than his family name.
“Performances are the best way of earning trust and respect, so when I started scoring runs, people started seeing me in a different light,” he shared. “When I first came to MP, I was known more by my last name. I kept hearing ‘Birla’s son, Birla’s grandson.’ But through my performances, I changed perceptions, and they started seeing me differently. That’s been my biggest achievement so far. Recently, someone came and asked me, ‘You’re so seedha saadha (simple and straightforward), we didn’t even know you’re from the Birla family.’ That to me was a sign of change.”
Birla spent two seasons with Rajasthan Royals but was unable to secure a spot in the playing eleven. The team eventually let him go in November of that year. In December 2019, Birla declared that he would take an “indefinite sabbatical from cricket” and did not return to the game. He expressed on Instagram, “I’ve felt trapped. I’ve pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to prioritize my mental health and wellbeing.” He added, “We all have our own journeys, and I want to use this time to better understand myself, embrace new perspectives, and seek purpose in my discoveries.”
Born on July 9, 1997, Aryaman later shifted focus to the family business, taking on important roles alongside his sister, Ananya Birla.
