"I loved it" - Suniel Shetty says he got goosebumps after son-in-law KL Rahul's 'Kantara' celebration' in RCB vs DC IPL 2025 clash

Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty recently spoke about his reaction to his son-in-law' KL Rahul's 'Kantara' celebration in the ongoing IPL 2025. The Delhi Capitals (DC) batter scored a match-winning 93*-run knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 10. He then recreated a scene from the blockbuster Kannada movie.

During a segment on Star Sports, Shetty was asked to comment on the celebration. The veteran actor stated that he thoroughly enjoyed it, and just the mention of it still gives him goosebumps.

He revealed that he called Rahul after the game and told him that this version of him was what everyone wanted to see. Here's what Shetty said about the viral celebration:

"I loved it. See, even when you are speaking now, I am getting goosebumps. Such moments should be there in every player's life where he believes that I could do it and I have done it. I was happy, and as a matter of fact, the first time I probably called him and said,'You know what, that's the Rahul that we want to see'."

Shetty emphasized that Rahul's impressive showings in the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy instilled a lot of confidence and belief in him. He added:

"I think that came after the World Cup and the Champions Trophy where he believed that he could finish. Nowadays there are so many problems for cricketers, with so many people telling them how they should play. It's tough for the kids."

KL Rahul parted ways with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. He embarked on a new journey after being signed by DC at ₹14 crore in the mega auction

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"He believes that he needs to express himself" - Suniel Shetty on shift in KL Rahul's approach

Speaking to Star Sports, Suniel Shetty also shed light on how KL Rahul's mindset has changed a bit recently. He emphasized that not just Rahul but many cricketers have to keep a balance between an aggressive and a steady approach because of the social media pressure.

He reckoned that Rahul seems to have now realized that playing counter-attacking cricket is more fun than playing steadily. Shetty added:

"He has realized he wants to enjoy the sport. There is a very thin line as sometimes people think that a player is playing too fast or irresponsibly. Not just Rahul, but a lot of cricketers are trying to balance it because of the pressure of social media, and otherwise also. I feel the kids get stuck there. But this time, he believes that he needs to express himself and maybe hitting fours and sixes is more fun than playing steadily."

KL Rahul has done well for DC in IPL 2025. He is the team's top run-getter of the edition, with 364 runs across eight innings at an average of 60.66 and a strike rate of 146.18.