New Delhi: India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the world's eighth highest paid sportsman from endorsements, reportedly making $26million a year from his commercial deals, according to the Forbes list of Highest Paid Athletes released on Wednesday. Dhoni, ranked 22nd on the list of Highest Paid Athletes with a total of $30 million, makes six and a half times more money on endorsements than he does on salaries/winnings ($4 million). The 32-year-old signed bat sponsorship deals with Spartan Sports and Amity University in late 2013 reportedly worth a combined $4 million annually, the Forbes website said.

The Indian captain, the only cricketer on the list of world's 100 most paid athletes, is ranked second behind actor and co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan, on the Forbes 2013 list of 100 Indian celebrities with the highest earnings. Heavyweight Boxer Floyd Mayweather tops the list of highest paid athletes with a $105m salary/winning package while golfing legend Tiger Woods heads the list of athletes who make the most money through endorsements with a reported total of $55 million.