RANCHI: Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has paid Rs 12.17 crore in taxes to become the highest personal income taxpayer of Bihar and Jharkhand region in the 2017-18 fiscal, senior IT officials in Ranchi said on Monday.

Dhoni, who gave up the captaincy of the Indian ODI and T20 squads in early 2016 paving the way for Virat Kohli, is currently in the list of A category players under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also earns from several endorsement contracts and owns different business ventures.

Nisha Oraon Singhmaar, the joint commissioner of IT headquarters (Bihar and Jharkhand), said: “MS Dhoni has been the highest individual tax-payer in Jharkhand and Bihar for the 2017-18 FY.”

However, the 37-year-old cricketer’s tax has risen from the 2016-17 fiscal when he paid Rs 10.93 crore. Earlier, Dhoni was the highest taxpayer from the region up to 2013-14 FY.

Forbes estimated that the 2011 World Cup-winning captain’s net worth was $111 million in 2015. Dhoni earned $31.5 million in 2015, including a $3.5 million in salary and $28 million in endorsements. He featured in the list of Forbes’ top 100 richest athletes on the planet in the same year.

Besides owning a football franchise in the Indian Super League, Dhoni is a joint owner of Ranchi Rays franchise in the Hockey India League. The Ranchi born cricketer also launched his apparel line in 2017 and submitted a proposal to Jharkhand government to build a five-star hotel in Ranchi.

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