“Champions” – Athiya Shetty and Suniel Shetty react to KL Rahul’s comeback ton in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 game

KL Rahul starred with the bat during the India vs Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 game at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday, September 11.

Rahul, who was unlikely to play the game, was picked at the last minute due to Shreyas Iyer’s back spasm. The 31-year-old grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He smashed an unbeaten 111 runs off 106 balls, including two sixes and 12 boundaries.

The right-handed batter also shared a 233-run partnership with Virat Kohli for the third wicket as the Men in Blue posted a 356/2 in 50 overs.

The wicketkeeper-batter had sustained a thigh injury during the Indian Premier League in May 2023. He recovered from his injury ahead of the Asia Cup but a slight niggle kept him out of the first two games against Pakistan and Nepal, respectively.

Following Rahul’s exploits with the bat, his better half Athiya Shetty shared a heartwarming post on Instagram. Athiya shared a picture of the Indian cricket team's post featuring Rahul and Virat Kohli, who also scored a century. She captioned her Instagram story:

“Champions.”

Athiya Shetty's Instagram story dedicated to KL Rahul and Virat Kohli.

KL Rahul’s father-in-law and Bollywood superstar Suniel Shetty also took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to laud his son-in-law. He wrote:

“A sublime performance - A triumphant return. Gratitude Overflows. Grateful to the almighty for empowering all efforts.”

KL Rahul and Virat Kohli’s masterclass put India in driving seat against Pakistan

Apart from KL Rahul, Virat Kohli also smashed an unbeaten 122 off 94, including three sixes and nine boundaries.

Earlier on Sunday, India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided a terrific start to the Men in Blue after being asked to bat first. Rohit scored 56 off 49, while Gill hit 58 off 52 as the duo shared a 121-run for the opening wicket.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan took one wicket apiece.

In response, the Men in Green were 44/2 after 11 overs when rain interrupted play. Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan are at the crease. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya dismissed Imam-ul-Haq 9 (18) and Babar Azam 10 (24) cheaply, respectively.

Pakistan need to play at least 20 overs for the match to yield a result. In that scenario, the Men in Green need to reach 200 runs in the remaining nine overs.

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