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Suniel Shetty in his latest interview opened up about his emotional bond with his son-in-law and Indian cricketer KL Rahul. The Bollywood superstar shared that social media trolls targeting Rahul hurt him more than the cricketer himself or his daughter Athiya Shetty, who tied the knot with Rahul earlier this year. Shetty further shared how Rahul deals with the trolls.
The reaction comes ahead of the upcoming three ODI series in South Africa. KL Rahul will lead the side in Rohit Sharma’s absence.
Speaking recently to ANI, Shetty said:
“The faith of the people in him, the selectors, the faith of the captain, it said it all. It hurts me 100 times more than it would hurt Rahul or Athiya.”
He also explained how KL Rahul deals with the trolls:
‘Dad, my bat will talk.’
For the unversed, Rahul starred with the bat for the Men in Blue in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The right-handed batter amassed 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33, including one century and two fifties. He also slammed a century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup. His purple patch came after recovering from a thigh injury, which had ruled him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year.
“I was his fan” – Suniel Shetty on KL Rahul
In an old interview, Suniel Shetty said he was KL Rahul’s fan before becoming his father-in-law. He also credited him for rising through the ranks to play for India. He told India Today:
“I don’t know the role of father-in-law. I was his fan. Today, there is a relationship, but I loved Rahul like I do a lot of young talent. I am someone who has always gone to watch young talents perform, even in my prime as an actor. I would go to Wankhade to watch young people play."
He continued:
"When I saw Rahul play, I thought this kid was good, and then he is from my own backyard, he is from Mangalore. I am someone who is very proud of anything that children from small towns achieve, so I was a fan and today I am his father."
Apart from acting, Suniel Shetty loves to play cricket and often takes part in the popular Celebrity Cricket League (CCL).
Meanwhile, Rahul will next be seen in action in the first ODI between India and South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 14.
