Several Indian cricketers like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan have cameos in Bollywood films. But today we will tell you about a former cricketer who debuted for the Indian team against Pakistan. He played his first match with Sachin Tendulkar and after 20 international matches, he left cricket for his passion for acting. His career was ruined due to alcohol but he made a strong comeback as an actor and in the world of cricket. Yes! We are talking about Salil Ankola. Let's have a look at his life's struggle and his journey from cricket to acting.
Played World Cup in 1996
Fast medium bowler Salil Ankola played 20 One Day International matches and one Test match for the Indian cricket team from 1989 to 1997. He also played in the Cricket World Cup in 1996. Due to consistently poor performance, he retired from cricket at the age of 28.
Salil Ankola's acting career
Salil left cricket and tried his hand at acting. He started his acting career in 1997 with the TV serial Chahat aur Nafrat. In the 2000s, he worked in many TV shows, including Kora Kagaz, Kehta Hai Dil, Vikraal and Gabral, Rishtey. In 2006, he also appeared in the first season of Bigg Boss, but was out of the Bigg Boss house in the first week itself.
He featured in several Bollywood films, including Kurukshetra, Pita, Chura Liya Hai Tumne and Riwayat, but these films flopped at the box office. In the late 2000s, Salil neither got TV shows nor any film offers, due to which he adopted alcohol addiction, which ruined his career. But the player's passion arose again. He admitted himself to a rehabilitation centre and made a comeback.
Salil Ankola's comeback
Salil Ankola played the role of Surya Dev in Colors TV's famous show Karmaphal Data Shani from 2016 to 2018. After this, he also made a comeback in cricket. From 2020 to 2021, he was the main selector of the Mumbai Cricket Association. From January 2023 to January 2024, he was the selector of the men's cricket team. Salil now does Marathi commentary in the Indian Premier League and also runs an Instagram page.
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