Top cricketers' earnings over 60 years...
Very interesting
 
1950s
 
Playing Fee per Test Rs. 250
Brand endorsements: None, except G. S. Ramchand, the first cricketer to endorse a brand. But he was paid no cash for his modeling.
 
1960s
 
Playing Fee per Test Rs. 400.
 
Brand endorsements:
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi for jewellery, Taj Mahal Tea.
Farokh Engineer, who got Rs.25 for Brylcream ad.
 
1970s
 
Test Fee Rs. 500 - 700.
ODIs Rs. 500 per match.
Brand Endorsements:
Sunil Gavaskar, Eknath Solkar for Philips cycles. An ad fetched roughly Rs. 2,000.00
 
1980s
 
PLAYING FEE PER TEST RS.7,500.00
ODIs Rs. 5,000 per match
Brand Endorsements:
Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev for BSA SLR cyccles, Palmolive cream. An ad fetched about Rs.3,000.00
 
1990s
 
Playing fee per Test Rs. 3 lakh
ODIs Rs.50,000 per match.
Brand Endorsement:
Kapil Dev, Sachin for Boost, Hero Honda. An ad fetched about Rs.50,000.
 
2000s
 
Annual Contract:
 
Grade A Rs. 1 crore
 
Grade B Rs. 50 lakh
Grade C Rs. 25 lakh
 
Playing fee per Test Rs. 4 - 7 lakh
ODIs Rs. 1.8 - 4 lakh
T20 Rs. 1 - 2lakh
 
Brand Endorsements:
 
Sachin Tendulkar Rs.180 crore deal with Iconic in 2006.
M.S.Dhoni Rs.210 crore deal with Rhiti Sports Management in 2010.
 
RUN MACHINES OR MONEY MACHINES??
 
M. S. DHONI
 
BCCI annual contract Rs.1 crore
Match fee Rs.1.86 crore
Endorsements Rs. 150 crore from 23 brands
IPL Rs. 9 crore
 
SACHIN TENDULKAR
 
BCCI annual contract Rs. 1 crore
Match fee Rs. 85 lakh
Endorsements Rs. 60 crore from 17 brands.
IPL Rs. 9 crore
 
GAUTAM GAMBHIR
 
BCCI annual contract Rs.1 crore
Match fee Rs. 94 lakh
Endorsements Rs. 5 crore from three brands.
IPL Rs.11 crore
 
All information according to India Today of 13 Feb, 2012.