Former India fast bowler and long-time cricket selector Salil Ankola is currently receiving treatment for depression, with the news emerging that he has taken a break to focus on his mental health. The 58-year-old, who debuted for India alongside Sachin Tendulkar in 1989, has reportedly checked into a rehabilitation facility in Pune after finding it difficult to deal with the death of his mother.
Ankola’s family has said they are pleased with his decision to step away rather than push through and “collapse completely.” His wife, Ria, added that he is recovering well, has been working out regularly, and is expected to return in due course to the sport he has always loved.
Quick facts
- Salil Ankola is undergoing treatment for depression.
- The former India fast bowler checked into a rehabilitation centre in Pune.
- His reported trigger for the break was struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death.
- Ankola’s wife said he is recovering well and has been working out regularly.
- Ankola had also entered rehabilitation last year for alcohol addiction.
There is also a background to his recent stay in rehabilitation. Ankola had reportedly checked in the previous year due to alcohol addiction, adding another chapter to his health journey beyond the current mental-health phase.
In 2024, Ankola’s mother—77-year-old Mala Ankola—was found dead in her flat on Prabhat Road in Pune’s Deccan Gymkhana area. Police stated that the injuries appeared, at least initially, to be self-inflicted, and that the body was discovered after domestic help entered the home when no one responded to the door.
Officials said the discovery came after the maid alerted relatives once she found Mala injured inside the kitchen, where she had reportedly been living with her daughter. The investigation into the circumstances was also understood to have started from that point.
Ankola’s cricket path
On the cricket field, Salil Ankola played one Test and 20 One-Day Internationals for India from 1989 to 1997, finishing with 15 wickets. His international career began in the same era that included Tendulkar, and he later transitioned into other roles even after his playing days ended.
More than two decades after his last appearance for India, Ankola returned to cricket in an administrative capacity. He became chief selector of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), marking a shift from the pitch to the selection table.
Between January 2023 and August 2024, he served on the BCCI selection committee. When Ajit Agarkar assumed the role of chairman, Ankola was among the four selectors already part of the panel, and in September 2024, he was replaced by Ajay Ratra.
Alongside these administrative responsibilities, Ankola spent recent years contributing to cricket coverage. He has been working as a commentator for domestic cricket and for the Indian Premier League in addition to his selection work.
Last year, Ankola reflected on his own career and suggested that if he were an active player today, he believes he would have been a strong fit for the IPL. He pointed to the fact that his career never fully took off due to repeated injuries, including a bone tumour.
From cricket to television
After retiring from professional cricket, Ankola ventured into acting and entertainment. He began with a television debut on Zee TV through the show Chahat Aur Nafrat before gaining wider recognition with Kora Kagaz, which ran from 1998 to 1999.
He also appeared in films including Kurukshetra, Pitaah, and Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne, where he played the main antagonist. Ankola later entered reality television, taking part in the inaugural season of Bigg Boss.
In that debut season, he became the first contestant to be evicted, completing his early run in mainstream entertainment.
