Suniel Shetty reacts to KL Rahul–Sanjiv Goenka IPL 2024 fallout: ‘Of course, it hurt him'

The heated exchange between KL Rahul and Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka during IPL 2024 remains one of the season’s most talked-about moments. Now, nearly a year later, Rahul’s father-in-law Suniel Shetty has addressed the incident, offering a calm and measured perspective on what unfolded.

‘Rahul never spoke about it’

Speaking on Lehren Retro, Suniel Shetty revealed that the controversy was never a topic of discussion within the family. Emphasising KL Rahul’s restraint amid public scrutiny, the actor said,




“People feel that way about him and he is aware of that, he has got all the love and sympathy. He never said a word till date. He has never talked about it, we never discussed that at home. Maybe, Sanjeev ji was going through something in his life at that period, and that's how we saw it.”

‘Of course, it hurt him’

Suniel Shetty admitted that while Rahul chose not to react publicly, the incident did affect him emotionally—especially as opinions poured in from all quarters. Recalling the aftermath of LSG’s heavy loss to SRH, after which the argument took place, he shared,

“Of course, it hurt him, because the world is seeing. The world wanted to take decisions, and the world was passing statements. But, those are not our statements. That shows the love for Rahul, for the family, but I don't think we went into that also.”

Why Suniel Shetty doesn’t watch KL Rahul bat live

During the same conversation, Suniel Shetty also spoke about his pride in KL Rahul’s journey as an Indian cricketer, revealing that he avoids watching Rahul’s matches live due to anxiety. Explaining his emotional connect, he said, “The biggest high for me is Rahul representing the country itself. If he is captain, vice captain, or leading from the front, responsible for India's victory, that's a big high for us automatically... I don't know if it's superstition or I get anxious, it's maybe because of that.”



KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty, who met through common friends around 2019, kept their relationship away from the spotlight before tying the knot in 2023. In 2025, the couple welcomed their daughter, Evaarah, and have since shared glimpses of their quiet family moments, staying true to their private nature.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”