New Delhi: Virat Kohli is no longer the richest Indian cricketer. As per several media reports, the superstar batter has lost his throne to former batter and gun fielder Ajay Jadeja, who was recently named the heir to the Jamnagar Royal Throne in Gujarat.
The announcement, which was made by Maharaja Jamsaheb of Nawanagar on Dussehra, makes Jadeja heir to a whopping fortune worth Rs 1450 crores.
An elated Maharaja Jamsaheb announced the historic news of naming Ajay Jadeja his heir through a public statement.
The whopping worth of the Jamnagar throne takes Jadeja past Virat Kohli as the richest Indian cricketer. According to Hindustan Times and other publicly available data, Kohli is reported to have an mammoth net worth of Rs 1,050 crore. Meanwhile, legendary skipper MS Dhoni is estimated to have a net worth of around Rs 1,000 crore, as per India.com.
Ajay Jadeja rises to new high
The move of Jadeja’s inheritance adds one more pillar to the already strong connection between the Jamnagar royal family and cricket. Notably, the Ranji and Duleep Trophies are named after Jadeja’s relatives, KS Ranjitsinhji and KS Duleepsinhji, respectively.
Jadeja, who is currently a successful name in the cricket broadcasting industry, is a direct descendant of the royal dynasty. His father, Daulatsinghji Jadeja, was a three-term Member of Parliament from Jamnagar.
The Maharaja led Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy in 1966 after taking over as the titular leader of Nawanagar. Jadeja’s family roots can be traced back to famous cricketer Ranjitsinh Jadeja, who ruled Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933.
Jadeja was known for his agility and reflexes on the field as well as his aggressive batting. He represented India in 196 One-Day Internationals and 15 Tests between 1992 and 2000.
His career came to an abrupt halt in December 2000 with a five-year ban following explosive, though inconclusive, findings in a CBI inquiry on match-fixing. Jadeja contested the ban and while doing so entered the world of acting in Bollywood.
In 2005, Jadeja returned to play for Delhi after a Division Bench permitted him to play domestic cricket.