The roar of Karachi in 1989 still echoes for Salil Ankola, who debuted internationally alongside Sachin Tendulkar in that fateful Test. A promising fast bowler, his stats—1 Test, 20 ODIs, 1996 World Cup—belied the talent injuries robbed at age 28.
Undeterred, he chased spotlights in acting. TV credits span ‘CID’, heartfelt ‘Kahatay Hain Dil’, poignant ‘Kora Kagaz’, eerie ‘Shssh… Koi Hai’. Cinema saw him as a cop in Sanjay Dutt’s ‘Kurukshetra’, and in ‘Pitaah’, ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne’, ‘Silence Please’. ‘Bigg Boss 2006’ tested his mettle further.
Off-camera, turmoil reigned. Retirement’s void in 1997 spawned a drinking spiral lasting to 2011. Habit turned havoc: constant intoxication, cricket aversion, ignored counsel, serial rehab failures. 2014 brought despair—12 ICUs, three death pronouncements.
Hope dawned via 2011 World Cup in rehab, framing alcohol as treatable foe. Family, resolve, and care prevailed. Sober today, he’s embedded in cricket: ex-Mumbai selector, India panelist till August 2024. Ankola’s narrative—from fast lanes to bottle’s grip to selector’s chair—embodies unyielding spirit.