No non-cricketing athlete within Top 50 of Forbes List

The Forbes 2019 Celebrity 100 list is out. And Indian men's cricket team captain, Virat Kohli’s march continues this year as, for the first time in eight years since the launch of the Forbes India Celebrity 100 List, he has replaced actors at the pole position. The 31-year-old is now perched right at the top on the back of ₹252.72 crores he earned between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019 (the period under consideration). This was through match fees, the BCCI central contract, brand endorsements and an eight-figure fee for every sponsored Instagram post.

On the Forbes list, the celebrity ranks are based on an aggregate of the estimated earnings and their calculated fame quotient, via print and social media reach. Some celebrities who score very high on fame might be ranked higher than those who have stronger revenues, but a poor fame score.

The list comprises names of athletes, movie stars, music icons and business magnates, however, no Indian non-cricketing sportsperson finds their name in the top-50 of the list. The first name appears from this category is of shuttler P V Sindhu who is in number 63, followed by her compatriot Saina Nehwal at 81, then the Indian men's football skipper Sunil Chhetri at 85, boxer Mary Kom at 87, followed by female cricketers Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur at 88 90 and 91, respectively.

At the fag end of the list lies India's ace wrestler Bajrang Punia at 94, golfer Anirban Lahiri at 95 and lastly, Rohan Bopanna at 98.