Suniel Shetty is brimming with pride for his son-in-law, KL Rahul, following the cricketer's recent achievement in T20 cricket. Rahul reached a significant milestone, accumulating 8,000 runs in the format during a remarkable century against the Gujarat Titans in an IPL 2025 match on May 18 in Delhi. This accomplishment also marks Rahul as the fastest Indian to surpass Virat Kohli in reaching the 8,000-run milestone in T20s.

Shetty, in a statement to ANI, emphasized that Rahul's primary focus is playing for his country, which he considers the "biggest high." He further added that Rahul is not driven by a desire to outshine Kohli or Rohit Sharma, but rather by a commitment to perform well for the team.

"The only thing I know about KL Rahul is that he wants to play for the country, come what may," Shetty stated. "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 also highlighted the camaraderie between Rahul and Virat Kohli, stating, "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, you know? And knowing him, I can say this. For him, it's not about beating Virat or beating Rohit. It's about doing well and seeing if he can take the team home--that's all that matters," Shetty added.

KL Rahul has amassed 8,081 runs in 237 matches and 224 innings, boasting an average of 42.53. His record includes seven centuries and 68 fifties, with a highest score of 132*. Rahul reached the 8,000-run landmark in 224 innings, making him the third-fastest batter to achieve this feat, trailing behind Chris Gayle (213 innings) and Babar Azam (218 innings). He surpassed Virat Kohli (243 innings) to become the fastest Indian to reach this milestone.

Adding to the family's excitement, Athiya Shetty, Rahul's wife, shared her joy on Instagram, reposting a Delhi Capitals post celebrating Rahul's century, along with a red heart emoji and the song “Believer” by Imagine Dragons. Suniel Shetty also expressed his admiration on his Instagram Stories, referring to Rahul as "a storm in disguise" accompanied by a blue heart emoji.

In the IPL 2025 match against the Gujarat Titans, Rahul scored 143 runs, marking his fifth IPL century. He had previously scored two centuries each for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but had not achieved this feat while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) or Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). This century was also his seventh overall in T20 cricket.

Despite Rahul's impressive century, the Delhi Capitals lost the match to Gujarat Titans, who chased down the target of 200 in just 19 overs without losing a wicket. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan led the charge for Gujarat, securing a 10-wicket victory and making Gujarat the first team to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs.