“From Pitch to Philanthropy”, cricketers who spent most for the social causes

(Sachin Tendulkar spending time with underprivileged children)

For the last few decades, cricket has been the most celebrated sport in our country, irrespective of any format. From 9 to 90, every individual loves to witness the battle between the bat and the ball and with this fact, Indian cricketers made a huge fortune throughout the years. From lavish bungalows to luxurious cars, they spend a life which is a daydream for the average Indian. But do fans ever wonder how much they spend on growing social causes and during the time of national distress? Few will be surprised to know that many of our sportspersons, especially cricketers, are silent heroes of those bad phases and help to come out of their nightmares with their economic help. Let's take a tour of the biggest expenditures made by cricketers in recent years for social causes.

1. Gautam Gambhir

At the pinnacle of this list, no one but the retired star Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir takes the spot with a remarkable amount of INR 2 crore rupees. Debuting in the year 2003 for the Indian national team, Gambhir has been one of the best complete batters for India in his time, successfully opening in all three formats for India. He is on the list of the most successful Indian cricketers with a huge net worth of approximately INR 200 crores. Gambhir has earned his prosperity from his long cricket career, commentary, brand endorsements, and salary as a member of Parliament.

(Gautam Gambhir's community kitchen feeding needy people during the pandemic)

However, the fact that is unknown to the people is that he is one of the greatest philanthropists that India has ever witnessed. He has donated INR 2 crore rupees and his 2 years' salary during one of the deadliest pandemics of the century, coronavirus, for the needy people of India. Gambhir has also been involved in other welfare programmes of his foundation, like 'Ek Asha- Jan Rasoi,' with a vision to feed the hungry underprivileged people, and the Pankh programme, which aims at providing health and education assistance to girl children.

2. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, also known as the run machine of modern-day cricket, seizes the second position with a tremendous amount of 2 crore rupees. In the last decade, he has been the biggest cricket sensation and the most followed cricketer worldwide, holding numerous world records to his name. He debuted in 2008 for India against Sri Lanka in an ODI, and since then, he has never failed to defend his nation in the toughest clutch moments. Being the captain of the Indian team from 2014-2022, he made a huge net worth of more than INR 1000 crore rupees from different sources like national salary, endorsements, IPL fees and several ventures.

(Virat Kohli spending time with unprivileged young children)

Like his huge fanbase, Kohli has a big heart and is extremely responsive towards humanity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated a lump sum of INR 2 crore rupees to fight the vulnerable virus and to revive the country's situation. Virat also runs a foundation with the mission of aiding children to know and encourage their talent in sports and making India a sports superpower. He and his wife Anushka have started an NGO named 'SeVa' that will focus on the social welfare of our society from different aspects.

3. Sachin Tendulkar

Claiming the third position, Sachin is also known as the Godfather of cricket, and he occupies this place with a generous amount of INR 1 crore 50 lakhs. He has marked his name in the history of Indian cricket through his magical batting performances in the era of bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, who were the nightmare for the batters. He started his career in 1989 against Pakistan and also led India as a captain from 1996 to 2000. The 'Master Blaster' has not only earned respect from his outstanding plays but also a lot of prosperity with a tremendous net worth of INR 1410 crores. He has earned all his wealth through his sports career, endorsements, advertisements, commentary, investments and real estate ventures.

(Sachin Tendulkar in a conference held by a foundation fighting against cancer)

Being a rich man with a rich heart, Sachin donated a healthy amount of INR 50 lakh to the PM Cares Fund and INR 1 crore to Mission Oxygen to procure oxygen concentrators in India during the COVID-19 pandemic to revive India's lack of oxygen supply. Even with his own foundation, 'The Sachin Tendulkar Foundation,' he has helped many young talents to know and encourage their talents in sports. His vision is to make Indian youth more healthy and sports enthusiasts and let them dream about a glamorous career like the big giants of Indian sports.

4. Rohit Sharma

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is securing this place with a notable donation of INR 80 lakh. He debuted against Ireland in 2007 and showcased his talent whenever his team needed him, proving that he is worthy enough to be called 'Hitman.' Rohit has an impressive net worth of INR 214 crore, most of which is earned from international and domestic matches, brand endorsements, and advertisements.

(Rohit Sharma sharing a close frame with a rhinoceros)

Besides being the captain of the Indian team, he is also a responsible citizen who cares about the well-being and development of the nation. This fact again came to the notice of the netizens when he didn't flinch before donating a massive sum of INR 80 lakhs during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also associated with an animal activist association called PETA, which aims to shelter and safeguard animals who are in need. He has always been the voice for animals and talks about preserving marine life, implying his soft corner for animal and social welfare.

5. Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, commonly known as the 'Bengal Tiger' for his on-field aggression, is acquiring the fifth spot and is also one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team. Sourav was also respectfully called “Dada” by many. He debuted for the Indian cricket team in 1992 against West Indies and in past years, he was also the former BCCI President and currently the Chairman of the ICC men's cricket committee. Ganguly has continued to be a part of the Indian cricket community in some way or another and has a significant role in the selection of many squads.

(Sourav Ganguly to play a charity football match with Diego Maradona)

Sourav Ganguly has made riches beyond imagination; he has many valuables and a marvellous net worth of INR 500 crore. He donated a considerable amount of INR 50 lakh worth of rice to the needy and hungry people who couldn't get proper meals during the coronavirus pandemic. Ganguly is also involved in lots of other charities through his own ‘Sourav Ganguly Foundation Program' and 'Sourav Ganguly Cricket School,' which nurtures the skills of young students not only in cricket but also in discipline, physical fitness, public speaking abilities and more.

6. Brett Lee

Almost every youngster has dreamt of bowling like Brett Lee in their childhood, and this madness makes him the greatest of all time. He is one of the greatest Australian bowlers, also known as ‘Binga’, and takes this place with a unique contribution of 1 Bitcoin that has a value of INR 43 lakhs, though forming a very small part of his total net worth. Lee has some affection with India and its people because of the love and support they have shown towards him, and he even had a successful IPL career, so during the lethal period of COVID, he decided to donate some of his wealth to support Indian citizens.

(Brett Lee in a press conference while he donated to a crypto relief fund during the pandemic)

The Australian sports star has an impressive net worth of 11 million dollars(approximately INR 90 crores), of which he donated a Bitcoin worth INR 53 lakhs to the ‘Crypto Relief Fund’ to support India during the fatal invasion of the coronavirus in the country and help the hospitals generate more oxygen supply. Also, the Brett Lee Foundation in India aims to see every Indian child's experience and benefit from the joy and power of music.

7. Pat Cummins

On the final spot, none other than the World Cup-winning Australian skipper Pat Cummins occupied it with a whopping amount of 50 thousand dollars. Debuting in 2011 for the Australian jersey, Cummins emerged as one of the finest bowling choices of Cricket Australia over the years. But despite playing for the country, he has a long connection with India for his long IPL career. Unfortunately, from 2020 to 2022, the world suffered with 'Covid 19', a deadly virus which took lakhs of innocent lives, and India suffered one of the cruellest attacks of this virus.

(Pat Cummins during the photo session of the 2021-22 Ashes test series)

Though Australia has not suffered the COVID wave as fatally as India, Cummins took great initiative and raised his helping hands towards the innocent Indians. He donated approximately INR 42 lakh rupees in the PM Cares fund to help India fight against the virus. It was not a large amount in this kind of pandemic considering the huge net worth of Pat (INR 320 crores), but surely it raised a moral example in front of thousands of celebrities to come in front and join the war against the biggest odds of the decade.