After scoring a match-winning 93 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore, KL Rahul celebrated with a ‘this is my ground’ gesture in the middle of the pitch.
KL Rahul’s Iconic Kantara Celebration: Praise from Suniel Shetty
More than his improved approach in T20 cricket, as reflected in his performance in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, where he is already closing in on the 400-run mark with three fifties, KL Rahul’s campaign’s highlight was the ‘Kantara’ celebration he performed at the Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier in the tournament. This celebration even saw him receive an “immediate” call from his father-in-law and Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty.
After playing an unbeaten 93-run knock against Rajasthan Royals, Rahul pulled off a ‘this is my ground’ celebration in the middle of the pitch, which instantly went viral on social media.
Speaking to Star Sports on Tuesday, Suniel said that after watching it live on television, he called Rahul to tell him how much he enjoyed it.
“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,'” Suniel said. “I think that came after the World Cup and the Champions Trophy – he showed that he can finish, and believes in himself.”
Suniel Shetty had an open discussion about KL Rahul’s transformation.
The veteran actor, whose daughter Athiya Shetty is married to Rahul, also discussed KL Rahul’s changed approach to the format.
“Initially, he used to focus more on net practice and functional training. Now, we do fight practice with my action directors. Along with that, we also work on dialogue delivery,” he said jokingly.
However, on a serious note, Suniel added how Rahul and most cricketers of this generation are realizing that they need to balance social media pressure with enjoying the game.
“I think he has realized that he should enjoy the sport. And at a certain point, there is a fine line. They try to balance it because of social media pressure, and the kids get stuck there. This time, he believes he should express himself. Now, he has decided that hitting sixes is just as fun as playing a steady knock,” he added. Rahul has scored 371 runs in nine innings this season, with a strike rate of 146.06.
