In the annals of Indian cricket, few names evoke as much nostalgia as Salil Ankola, the fiery fast bowler who shared the debut Test with Sachin Tendulkar back in 1989. Bursting onto the scene during the Pakistan tour in Karachi, Ankola’s raw pace and right-arm aggression captured the imagination of a cricket-crazy nation. Over his brief international stint, he played one Test and 20 ODIs, even earning a spot in the 1996 World Cup squad. But persistent injuries cut his career short at just 28, forcing him to hang up his boots.
Transitioning from the cricket field to the silver screen, Ankola found a new calling in acting. He appeared in popular TV serials like ‘CID’, ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, ‘Kora Kagaz’, and the horror series ‘Shssh… Koi Hai’. Bollywood beckoned too, with roles in films such as Sanjay Dutt’s ‘Kurukshetra’ where he portrayed a determined police officer, alongside ‘Pitaah’, ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne’, and ‘Silence Please… The Dressing Room’. His charisma shone on screen, and he even stepped into the high-stakes world of reality TV by participating in Salman Khan’s ‘Bigg Boss’ in 2006.
Behind the glamour, however, lurked a harrowing personal struggle. Post-retirement in 1997, Ankola grappled with a profound void that cricket’s absence left in his life. By 1999, alcohol had become his crutch, spiraling into a full-blown addiction that consumed him until 2011. In candid interviews, he revealed how casual drinking morphed into a relentless disease, where he’d drink around the clock if awake. Cricket matches triggered painful memories, leading him to shun the sport entirely. Friends and family pleaded, rehab stints multiplied, but relapse was constant.
Rock bottom came in 2014: 12 ICU admissions, three clinical deaths. Yet, a turning point arrived during the 2011 World Cup viewed from rehab, igniting a spark of hope. Ankola credits family support, sheer willpower, and proper treatment for his recovery, declaring alcohol not a hobby but a deadly illness. Today, fully rehabilitated, he’s back in cricket’s fold as a former Mumbai Cricket Association chief selector and Indian national team selector from January 2023 to August 2024. Salil Ankola’s journey from glory to abyss and triumphant return stands as a testament to human resilience.