Atharva Ankolekar

Atharva Ankolekar’s journey is one of evolution, having started in one discipline before making another his own. He initially began his cricketing journey as a batter, but at the suggestion of his coach, he started working on his spin bowling, which soon developed into his biggest strength.

His journey to professional cricket is also one of resilience. His father dreamed of seeing him succeed in cricket, but tragically passed away in 2010. From there, it was his mother who carried that dream forward. She worked tirelessly, first as a private tutor and later as a bus conductor in Mumbai, ensuring Atharva had the support to pursue cricket.

Atharva’s breakout moment came during the 2019 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, where he finished as the highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in India’s title-winning campaign. A few months later, he showcased his talent at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, scoring a crucial half-century against Australia in the quarter-final, where they ultimately finished as runners-up. He made his List A and T20 debut for Mumbai the following year, while his first-class debut came in 2024. It soon became clear that his skill set was better suited to the white-ball formats.

His persistence paid off when the Mumbai Indians acquired him for the 2026 season, having previously been part of the setup as a net bowler during the 2020 edition. Unfortunately, he was ruled out due to a knee injury and was replaced by Krish Bhagat. He had a good SMAT 2025, picking up 9 wickets in 10 games, and later on was named in the Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy 2026/27.