Imagine sharing the dressing room with someone like Sachin Tendulkar and then falling so deep that you need to go to a rehab for treatment. No we are not talking about Vinod Kambli, but former Indian cricketer and selector Salil Ankola, who is going through a period of depression
Published: May 9, 2026 12:35 PM IST
Imagine sharing the dressing room with someone like Sachin Tendulkar and then falling so deep that you need to go to a rehab for treatment. No we are not talking about Vinod Kambli, but former Indian cricketer and selector Salil Ankola, who is going through a period of depression as disclosed by his wife Ria Ankola. It is being reported that Salil was recently admitted to a rehabilitation center in Pune where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Despite rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid among others, Salil Ankola’s career never really took off. Having played only one Test match in his short-lived career, Salil had to forcefully retire at the age of 28 after which he took a different career path in acting and film production.
His cricketing career was majorly marred by a series of injuries which saw him remain in and out of the team. Salil was a tall and athletic bowler, who broke into the Indian national team following an exceptional Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in the 1988-89 season.
On his international Test debut, Salil had figures of 2 for 128 across innings but he never returned to play red-ball cricket again. Many blame his lengthy run-up as the major reason behind his injuries, but in 1990, Salil worked with Frank Tyson to remodel his bowling action and returned with lesser pace but better control.
Three years later, Salil was integrated to the Indian ODI team but he was dropped the very next year due to his reputation of being a poor fielder. He was recalled for the 1996 Cricket World Cup and also featured in a subsequent series before being dropped from the side once again.
Salil Ankola played only 1 Test and 20 one-day matches in which he was able to collect 13 wickets at an economy rate of 4.57. In his domestic career, Salil registered 181 wickets in 54 first-class matches and 70 scalps in 75 list A outings.
Ria Ankola wife reveals real reason why Salil is suffering depression
Ria Ankola has revealed that Salil has not been able to recover, emotionally, after the death of his mother in 2024. That’s why the former cricketer and selector decided to enroll into a rehab center in order to receive good treatment in a peaceful environment.
Ria also stated that Salil is currently in a better state than before and that he will return soon to take up a new role in the cricketing domain. Notably, this isn’t the first time Salil is battling mental health issues as nearly two decades ago, the 58-year-old battled severe alcohol addiction.
Salil’s wife also called for support from his former teammates as he continues to improve himself in this battle against himself.
