More than KL Rahul’s improved approach to T20 cricket—evident in his performance in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, where he is already close to the 400-run mark with three half-centuries—the highlight of his campaign has been the Kantara-inspired celebration at the Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier in the tournament. The powerful act even led to an “immediate” call from his father-in-law and Bollywood actor, Suniel Shetty.
After playing a match-winning knock of 93* against his former team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rahul celebrated in the middle of the pitch with a ‘this is my ground’ gesture, which instantly went viral on social media.
Speaking to Star Sports on Tuesday, Suniel Shetty shared that after watching the moment live on TV, he called Rahul right away to tell him how much he loved it.
“I loved it. Even when I watch it now, I still get goosebumps. Every cricketer should have a moment like that where he feels, ‘I can do this, and I’ve done it.’ That was one of the first times I called him immediately and said, ‘That’s the KL Rahul I want to see,’” said Suniel. “I think it came after the World Cup and Champions Trophy, where he proved he could finish games and truly believed in himself.”
Suniel Shetty on Rahul’s Changing Approach
The veteran actor, whose daughter Athiya Shetty is married to KL Rahul, also spoke about how Rahul’s attitude toward the game has changed.
“Earlier, he would spend more time on net practice and functional training. Now, we joke that he trains with my action directors and practices fight scenes and dialogues,” he said humorously.
On a serious note, Suniel added that Rahul—like many modern cricketers—is learning to balance the pressure of social media with the joy of playing cricket.
“I think he’s realized that he wants to enjoy the sport. At some point, there’s a fine line to walk. Players often try to balance that because of social media pressure, and they can get stuck. But this time, he’s focused on expressing himself more. He’s decided that hitting sixes is just as enjoyable as playing a composed knock,” he said.
Rahul has scored 371 runs in nine innings this season, with a strike rate of 146.06.
