Suniel Shetty Praises Son-in-Law KL Rahul After T20 Milestone, Reflects on Grandfatherhood and Life’s New Chapter

May 20, 2025 : Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty is beaming with pride after his son-in-law, cricketer KL Rahul, reached a major milestone in T20 cricket, becoming the fastest Indian to score 8,000 runs in the format. Rahul achieved this feat during a sensational century against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 match held on May 18 in Delhi.

The star batter reached 8,081 runs in just 224 innings across 237 matches, boasting an impressive average of 42.53, with seven centuries and 68 half-centuries. His milestone places him third overall in terms of the fastest to 8,000 T20 runs — behind Chris Gayle (213 innings) and Babar Azam (218 innings) — and ahead of Virat Kohli (243 innings), making him the fastest Indian to do so.

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Reacting to KL’s achievement, Suniel Shetty said it was never about records for Rahul, but about playing for the country.

“The only thing I know about KL Rahul is that he wants to play for the country, come what may. He wants to play all formats, whether it’s No. 1, No. 5, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, or No. 11. He just wants to be a part of Team India, and that’s his biggest high,” Shetty said.

He also addressed comparisons with Kohli and Rohit Sharma:

“He admires Virat a lot. They’re very good friends. So, I don’t think he would be happy just because he’s broken Virat Kohli’s record. He’ll be happy because he’s done well. For him, it’s not about beating Virat or Rohit—it’s about doing well and taking the team home. That’s all that matters.”

In a heartfelt moment, Shetty also shared his joy about entering grandfatherhood, as KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty welcomed their daughter, Evaarah, in March 2025.

“I think I’m in the most beautiful place in my life right now, probably the happiest. Grandfatherhood feels like a blessing. Every phase of life is beautiful—school, college, marriage, children, and now this. All I want is for the family to stay together, and that’s bliss.”

On the professional front, Shetty is gearing up for the release of his next film, “Kesari Veer: Legends of Somnath,” co-starring Sooraj Pancholi, which hits theatres on May 23.