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Who is India's Richest Cricketer With Rs 20000 Cr. Of Net Worth? It's Not Kohli, Dhoni or Tendulkar

image-lk6owswiSamarjitsingh Gaekwad (Instagram)

In an unexpected revelation that has taken cricket fans by surprise, it turns out that none of the familiar names - Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, or Sachin Tendulkar - is the richest cricketer in India.

Samarjitsingh Gaekwad - India's richest cricketer

Shockingly, this distinction belongs to a former first-class cricketer from the state of Baroda, Samarjitsingh Ranjitsinh Gaekwad whose staggering net worth is reported to be over Rs 20,000 crore.

Samarjitsingh Gaekwad is a scion of the royal Gaekwad family. His cricketing career spanned two seasons, from 1987-88 to 1988-89, during which he participated in six first-class matches. Following his retirement, he remained involved with the sport, serving as the president of the Baroda Cricket Association.

Despite a brief cricketing stint in the late '80s and a subsequent administrative role, Gaekwad's colossal net worth, reportedly over Rs 20,000 crore, comes not from his cricketing career but from his princely heritage. He became one of the globe's richest cricketers after the resolution of a 23-year-long inheritance dispute in 2013.

The inheritance, valued at about £3 billion, included the vast Laxmi Vilas Palace estate, regarded as four times larger than Buckingham Palace, complete with a personal golf course. An avid golfer himself, Gaekwad now has the privilege of enjoying this opulent asset.

The dispute originated after the death of Maharaja Fetehsinghrao Gaekwad in 1988, leading to a bitter succession battle between Ranjitsinh, Samarjitsingh's father, and his brother, Sangramsinh. After his coronation, Samarjitsingh took the initiative to negotiate a settlement and bring an end to the 23-year-long family conflict.

Under the final agreement, Samarjitsingh retained the lion's share of the estate, making him India's wealthiest cricketer. He got the grand Laxmi Vilas Palace, a vast collection of jewellery, and a hoard of valuable paintings by the celebrated 19th-century Indian painter, Raja Ravi Verma.

As a result, despite having a less illustrious cricketing career than Dhoni, Tendulkar, and Kohli, Gaekwad's net worth outshines all, making him the richest cricketer in India due to his princely lineage.