Virat Kohli sole Indian in Forbes's 2018 list of highest-paid athletes; Floyd Mayweather, Lionel Messi top earners

NEW DELHI: India skipper Virat Kohli is the only cricketer among the world's highest paid athletes, according to a Forbes' compilation topped by American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.

The 29-year-old Kohli is also the lone Indian on the annual list of the world's 100 highest paid athletes, published by Forbes magazine on Wednesday.

Kohli is No.83 on this year's list with estimated earnings of $24 million, of which $20m is estimated to come from endorsements and the remaining $4m from his salary.

Kohli was 89th on last year's list with estimated earnings of $22m.

The list is headed by Mayweather, whose estimated earnings of $285m are more than double those of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi, who is second on the list with $111m.

The list is dominated by athletes from America's NFL, NBA and MLB competitions, although the top five athletes -- Mayweather, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor and Neymar -- are from either football or combat sports.

There are no female athletes on the list.

Kohli's earnings are impressive, however, he has yet to reach the heights of the man he replaced as India's skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who Forbes listed at 22 on their top 100 in 2014 with an annual pay packet of $30 million.