Sunil Shetty Opened up about his relationship with his son-in-law, Indian cricketer KL Rahul, revealing that he first met the star batsman as an admirer long before Rahul and Athiya Shetty fell in love.In a recent interview with Mid-Day, Sunil also reflected on why he never bought an IPL team despite being a passionate sports fan and praised Shah Rukh Khan for his early foresight in investing in the league.
Sunil Shetty talks meeting KL Rahul
Suniel revealed that his first interaction with KL Rahul had nothing to do with family ties.“It was a wild moment. I knew him as a fan before they met. To this day, that’s how I see him – a well-spoken, gentle, humble man who leaves a huge impact on young people wherever and whenever he can,” he said.KL Rahul got married to Suniel’s daughter, actress Athiya Shetty in 2023. The couple are now parents to daughter Evaarah Vipula.
“We talk about character, not career”
The actor said he would not interfere in Rahul’s cricket career, just like he avoided giving career advice to his son, actor Arhan Shetty.“I don’t give advice to either of my sons. Like I said, we don’t discuss careers at home; we discuss character. We keep it very, very simple,” Sunil shared.
Sunil Shetty says he could have bought an IPL team
Although Sunil is an avid sports lover and once dreamed of becoming a cricketer, he admits that when the Indian Premier League (IPL) started in 2008, he did not play in the tournament.Looking back, he believes he could have owned a franchise if the financing ecosystem had been different.“I could have bought a team. If someone had supported me, I probably would have joined. Today, you have funders, venture capitalists and investors keen to invest with you. Back then, that wasn’t the case. We couldn’t even think of spending that much money,” he said.
Sunil Shetty praises Shah Rukh Khan’s vision
Suniel also talked about Shah Rukh Khan, who bought the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise along with Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta during the inaugural season of IPL.“Shah Rukh was in the right place at the right time, with the right people. And me, being an introvert, I…like I said, Shah Rukh is in a better place,” he said.Calling Shah Rukh a visionary, Sunil said, “I have always believed that Shah Rukh was an absolute visionary. Whatever he did in his life, he did it beautifully.”Sunil Shetty was last seen in Ahmed Khan’s adventure comedy Welcome to the Jungle.
