Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has opened up about his reaction and his phone call with his son-in-law, KL Rahul, after his iconic “Kantara” celebration during Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnasamy Stadium earlier this month.
KL Rahul has been on a roll in the ongoing IPL 2025, as he has so far amassed 371 runs with the highest score of an unbeaten 93 in nine games for Delhi Capitals.
The Karnataka batter has already hit three fifties in the tournament, but it is not his form but his iconic “Kantara” celebration that has been making the buzz among the fans and cricket fraternity.
Your daily dose of cricket!
After his match-winning 93 not out against his former franchise RCB, Rahul made a mark on the M. Chinnaswamy pitch with his bat and then exclaimed, ‘This is my ground.’
That celebration has been hailed by fans, and Rahul has even received special praise from his father-in-law, Suniel Shetty.
Suniel Shetty calls KL Rahul’s “This is My Ground” celebration a “Goosebumps” moment
The moment after the right-handed batter pulled off the ‘this is my ground’ celebration, the Bollywood star called Rahul to express his excitement and appreciation for the celebration, saying it gave him “goosebumps.” He also highlighted how Rahul’s newfound confidence and belief in his abilities were evident in that moment.
Read Also: PSL Team Owner labels IPL competition a massive failure for PCB; dark clouds ahead
Suniel Shetty said on Star Sports, “I loved it. Even when I see it now, I get goosebumps. Every cricketer should have a moment like that where he believes, ‘I can do it, and I have done it.’ You know, that was one of the first times I immediately called him up and said, ‘That’s the KL Rahul I want to see.’ I think that came after the World Cup and the Champions Trophy—he showed that he can finish and believes in himself.”
Saath saath dialogue delivery karte hai: Suniel Shetty
The veteran actor also joked about son-in-law Rahul’s changing approach to training. He said that Rahul was earlier used to focus primarily on net practice and functional training, but now he trains with Shetty’s action directors and works on his dialogue delivery alongside his fitness drills.
He jokingly revealed, “Pehle net practice pe zaada jaaya jaata tha, functional training kiya karta tha. Abhi mere action directors ke saath humlog fight practice karte hai. Saath saath dialogue delivery bhi karte hai (Initially, he used to concentrate on net practice and functional training. Now, he trains with my action directors and works on his dialogue delivery.”
Read Also: Phil Salt declines Virat Kohli’s friendship
Suniel Shetty says KL Rahul has realized he wants to enjoy the sport
Suniel Shetty also revealed how KL Rahul is learning to strike a balance between handling social media pressure and enjoying the game. He mentioned that Rahul now wants to express himself more freely on the field and has realized that hitting sixes can be just as exciting as playing steady innings.
He signed off by saying, “I think he has realized he wants to enjoy the sport. And after one point, there is a thin line. They try to balance it because of social media pressure, and kids get stuck there. This time, he believes that he needs to express himself. Now, he has decided that hitting sixes is as much fun as scoring a steady knock.”
