"I might have been one of the highest-paid IPL players" - Former India pacer makes massive claim

Former India pacer Salil Ankola made a massive claim about himself and the IPL. He played one Test and 20 ODIs from 1989 to 1997. Ankola believed that we would have been among the highest-paid players in the IPL if he were born in the modern era.

Ankola played his only Test for India in 1989. It was the first Test of the series against Pakistan. He was dropped after that game and did not play in the remainder of the series. The former pacer never played another Test after that. He bagged 181 wickets in 54 matches and 70 scalps in 75 List-A games.

"Nobody gives logic, no logic was given (on being dropped). I did not even ask why. I was too heartbroken. I was looking forward. I was bowling quick that time. Then when I was playing the domestic season, I bowled 33 overs in a day and got another injury. It got too bad, and I had to be away for a year. I came back into the Indian team about 10 to 15 times. I would get dropped and come back. But I was not selected in the XI. That was not my call," he said in an exclusibe interview with Vickey Lalwani.

"The final blow came in 1997. No one asked me why I left and just wrote stuff on their whims and fancies. I kept trying for three years to come back. There was no social media and reach also then. I never said I retired. If I were born in this era, I might have been one of the highest-paid IPL players," he added.

After being dropped and suffering from a bone tumor, Ankola could not play for India ever again. He last featured in an ODI against South Africa in 1997. The former pacer revealed that he did not even watch cricket from 1999 till 2011. Moreover, he also revealed that he started drinking after losing his spot in the team.

"From 1999 or 2000 till 2011, I did not watch a single match. I have not seen Sehwag playing, not seen Kohli debut, not seen Zaheer bowling, not seen Agarkar bowling. I have not seen my own friends play. I did not want to see cricket anymore. I started saying why me, because I trained my whole life for it, and suddenly everything went away. I would drink a lot, and it had become my way of escapism."

He picked up two wickets in his only Test and claimed 13 wickets in 20 ODIs.

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Salil Ankola reveals stunning incident of watching 2011 World Cup for India legend

Salil Ankola, who became a member of the senior men's national selection committee and was also the Chief Selector of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), revealed a stunning incident of how he requested special permission to watch the semifinal and final of the 2011 World Cup.

Notably, he was undergoing rehabilitation during the time and wanted to watch the two matches only because it was India legend Sachin Tendulkar's last World Cup. After having played six World Cups, Tendulkar finally lifted the trophy when India won in 2011.

"Not many people know about this, when we won the World Cup in 2011, it was the last time Sachin would be seen in a World Cup. I was in rehab at that time. We were not allowed to watch TV but I made a special request to watch the semi-final and final because it was Sachin's last. I was given special permission with a lot of security. Everyone there watched. I only wanted to watch because it was Sachin's last. From then the spark started coming back," he said.

Salil Ankola credited his wife, Ria Banerjee, for his comeback to cricket in any capacity. Notably, Ankola got into acting after his playing career was abruptly cut short. He made his film debut in 2000 and also did TV shows.

"Ria told me that I was missing cricket and I should get back to it for myself. She has always been right. She is the smarter one. She balances everything in my life. I got back because of her, and I think it was my best decision. I was still getting offered so many shows," he added.

Ankola served as a national selector from early 2023 till August 2024, playing a part in selecting India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad.