Overview
- Speaking to Mid-Day this week, Shetty said his first encounter with KL Rahul was a 'fanboy' moment and that he continues to admire Rahul's demeanour and influence.
- Shetty noted that Rahul married his daughter Athiya in 2023 and the couple welcomed a daughter, Evaarah Vipula, last year, details reporters have repeated while covering his comments.
- The actor said he deliberately avoids offering career or cricket advice to family members and prefers to focus conversations at home on character rather than professional choices.
- Shetty admitted he could have pursued an IPL franchise when the league began but lacked financial backers at the time and praised Shah Rukh Khan for seizing the early opportunity.
- The accounts place his remarks in a wider context about the IPL's 2008 launch when few outside investors or venture funds existed to support celebrity bidders, a factor that shaped ownership patterns.