Who is Salil Ancora? From Tendulkar’s first collaboration to actor, talent showrunner, now battling depression

former indian cricketer Salil Ancora The former fast bowler is once again in the spotlight after TOI learned that he is currently undergoing treatment for severe depression at a rehabilitation and mental health care center near Pune. While the news has caught the attention of the cricketing world, many young fans may not fully understand the journey of the former fast bowler who once shared one of the most iconic debuts in Indian cricket history.Ankola made his international debut for India in Karachi in 1989, where he also introduced two future world cricket legends; Sachin Tendulkar and Waqar Younis. Facing the powerful Pakistan side Wasim AkramThe tall Mumbai pacer picked up two wickets in his only Test appearance for India.

Ankola came to prominence on the domestic stage with a splashy debut season for Mumbai in 1988-89 before earning national selection. He took a hat-trick and scored a valuable 43 against Gujarat and then hit a six against Baroda. His performance soon propelled him into the Indian team.Although his international career did not last long, Ankola still represented India in 20 ODIs and remains a respected performer in domestic cricket. In 54 first-class games, he took 181 wickets with a best score of 6 in 47. However, injuries repeatedly interrupted his progress. He later worked with legendary fast bowling coach Frank Tyson to reshape his action and shorten his run-up in an attempt to improve control and reduce physical strain.Ankola returned to the Indian ODI squad in the mid-1990s and was included in the 1996 World Cup squad, but eventually lost his place again. His cricketing career ended prematurely at the age of just 28 when a tumor in his jaw forced him to retire.After cricket, Ankola successfully transitioned into the entertainment industry. He has appeared in several television series and films, including the popular horror show “Hush…Koi Hai”, and has starred in films such as Sanjay DuttRenuka Shahane, Sunny Leone, Adnan Sami and Asha Bhosle are involved in various projects.Despite moving into acting and production, Ankola still has a strong connection with cricket. Later, he returned to administrative duties and served as the chief electoral officer of Mumbai from 2021 to 2023 before becoming the state electoral officer in January 2023. He will hold this position until August 2024.According to his family, Ancora has been struggling emotionally since the death of his mother in October 2024. His wife Ria Ankola told TOI that Ankola sought treatment after finding it difficult to cope with the bereavement and experiencing declining mental and physical health.