5 players who left cricket midway and took up other profession

4. Salil Ankola, India – Actor

In the ’90s the Indian team nurtured various fast-bowling exponents and it saw the emergence of the Maharashtrian cricketer, Salil Ankola. The speedster began his maiden first-class season with a bang as he scalped a total of 27 wickets including three 5-wicket hauls. Immediately his heroics caught the attention of selectors and he was drafted into the side when the team travelled to Pakistan.

He shared his debut with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Waqar Younis but injuries kept him away from the rest of the Test matches. Consequently, he got his ODI cap in the same tour and could only bag 3 wickets in as many games. Following that Salil was not a regular in the playing XI. Sometimes he was even dropped after not playing a single tie in the series and to add to his woe’s injuries also slowed him down.

At the age of 28, he was diagnosed with a bone tumour and surgery prevented him from running. Even after full recovery the speedster announced his retirement and took up acting as his profession. Now he has become a well-known figure in the Indian television and has also acted in a handful of Bollywood films.