Dhoni trumps Rooney, Sharapova in Forbes' rich list

MS Dhoni continues to be the only cricketer among the world's top 100 highest-paid athletes. With earnings of $31 million, Dhoni, sandwiched between Rafael Nadal and Brazilian footballer Neymar, was 23rd on the list released by Forbes. He may have dropped a place compared to last year, but his earnings went up by a million, according to the magazine.

The salaries in cricket do not hold the players at par with other lucrative sports, and Dhoni's $4 million has him standing at 97th in the list, but it's the value of his endorsements that prop him right up. The $27 million Dhoni made while not playing cricket was level at ninth with Cristiano Ronaldo, more than Kobe Bryant, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and even Maria Sharapova.

The list was topped this year by boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who raked in $460 million between them, most of it coming from their bout which was billed as the Fight of the Century.