Cricket has long been a cash-rich sport, cementing its place as one of the world’s most lucrative and popular games. Since its inception, the sport’s financial growth Cricketers Who Came from Wealthy Families has been unstoppable, with the introduction of dynamic formats like T20 and T10 further boosting revenue streams. Domestic T20 leagues, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL), have played a significant role in amplifying the sport’s wealth, attracting massive sponsorships and offering substantial rewards. The IPL, in particular, stands as the richest cricket league globally.
Cricket’s financial allure often transforms the lives of players, many of whom come from humble beginnings. Particularly in Asia, where cricket enjoys immense popularity, players rise from modest backgrounds to achieve both fame and fortune through sheer talent and dedication.
However, not all cricketers start from scratch. In some rare instances, players have entered the sport with considerable wealth and privilege. This article takes a closer look at five such cricketers who came from affluent families before making their mark in cricket.
5. Vijay Merchant
Vijay Singh Madhavji Merchant, a former Indian cricketer, hailed from a prominent family and brought his rich legacy to the cricket field. A right-handed batter and occasional medium pacer, Merchant was more than just a cricketer; he also had ties with Hindoostan Spinning & Weaving Mills (Thakersey Group).
Merchant was a phenomenal First-Class cricketer, amassing over 13,470 runs in more than 150 matches. His astonishing batting average of 71.64 remains the second-highest in First-Class cricket history, surpassed only by the legendary Sir Don Bradman. Despite his stellar domestic career, Merchant played just 10 Test matches for India, scoring 859 runs at an impressive average of 47.72.
4. Aryaman Birla
Aryaman Birla, the 24-year-old son of billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, is often listed among the wealthiest cricketers alongside Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Aryaman made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season. Shortly after, he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2018 auction held in January. Later that year, in November, Aryaman showcased his potential by scoring a century in first-class cricket. However, he decided to take a break from the sport to prioritize his mental health.
3. Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
The legendary Indian captain Nawab Mansoor entered into cricket with a tag of a rich player he used to come from a royal family and had more than enough money before entering the game. He was the titular Nawab of Pataudi from 1952 until 1971. Also, he was given the responsibility to captain the Indian team at the very young age of 21.
Meanwhile, he played over 300 first-class matches and smashed over 15000 runs with a decent batting average of 33.67. Also, he played 46 matches for India and scored 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91.
2. Sourav Ganguly
Former Indian captain and the current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is regarded as one of the most successful cricketers of all time. He was a champion batsman and star captain. Ganguly came into cricket with rich family background, Sourav’s father was a very successful businessman, he ran a flourishing print business in Kolkata. The Prince of Kolkata lived a life just like a prince before entering the cricketing world.
Sourav Ganguly has played over 1000 cricketing matches in his career including ODI, Test, FC, and LA. Notably, he had a grand success in ODI cricket as he played over 300 games and scored over 11,000 runs.
Meanwhile, his Test career was also a very successful one as he managed to score 7,212 runs in 113 Tests. Ganguly was also responsible for the renovation of team India when they were going through a tough time.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muralitharan is unarguably the greatest spinner of all time. His success in international cricket is remembered to date, his records in international cricket still seem unbreakable even after several years of retirement. Many fans don’t know that legendary spinner comes from rich family background. Notably, Muralitharan’s father Sinnasamy Muttiah ran a successful biscuit-making business due to which Muralitharan lived a luxurious life ahead of entering cricket.
Talking about his international career, it was filled with a hell of a lot of success and controversial bowling action. Murali was the hot topic of discussion for his unique bowling action which caused a lot of trouble for him. However, controversies didn’t stop him from becoming the legendary cricketer. As he is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 800 scalps and no bowler is even close to him. Also, he holds the record for most wickets in ODI cricket with 534 wickets under his belt.
Overall the greatest spinner of all time sits at the top of the highest wicket-takers list with 1347 international wickets. The bowler at no. two positions are Shane Warne who has 1001 wickets which is 346 wickets less than Muralitharan.
