My father-in-law’s Opinion Steals Spotlight in Rohit Sharma T20 World Cup

 'My father-in-law..’: KL Rahul's ‘Sharma ji ka beta’ comment on Rohit for T20 World Cup steals limelight after MI vs LSG
By HT Sports Desk  

KL Rahul mentioned that he and his father-in-law, Suniel Shetty, will cheer for ‘Sharma ji ka beta’ Rohit and his Team India at the T20 World Cup. Over the years, the IPL has balanced bridging the gap among international cricketers and fostering a competitive environment among top Indian players.

 The top 20 Indian cricketers are spread across different franchises, allowing them to shine individually. Friday's match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium was another example. Two top Indian cricketers, MI opener Rohit Sharma and LSG captain KL Rahul, faced off.

As often happens, the on-field competition turned into a display of camaraderie once the match ended. During the post-match presentation, Rahul and Rohit shared a light moment. The stylish batters had a heart-to-heart talk when Rahul, the winning captain, was called to share his thoughts on his last match of the season. He briefly couldn't find the microphone but was reassured by Harsha Bhogle that there was one closer to the dais.

Rahul reflected on his team's performance and was asked about his future in T20 cricket. He did not make it to India's T20 World Cup side, as Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson were chosen as keeper-batters, and Yashasvi Jaiswal took his place as an opener.

Rahul and his father-in-law will cheer for Sharma ji ka beta

This will be the first time in three T20 World Cup editions that Rahul will not open the batting for India. But the 32-year-old will be glued to the television, cheering for India.

"I'm on my father-in-law's team. We'll both be cheering for 'Sharma ji ka beta' at the upcoming World Cup. We'll be glued to the television and sending all our love to the Indian team," he said.

To understand the "Sharma ji ka beta" and "father-in-law" references, one needs to recall the IPL promotional ad featuring Rahul, Rohit, and Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, Rahul's father-in-law. The ad shows Shetty ignoring son-in-law Rahul and pampering Rohit due to his allegiance to the Mumbai Indians.

When asked if he would reconsider his batting position in T20s as he had done in ODIs, Rahul said: "Maybe, maybe not. There's not much T20 cricket coming up for me now. It depends on where I stand and what I need to do to get back in the team. I'll think about what the team needs."

LSG rose to No.6 in the points table after beating MI by 18 runs. If Royal Challengers Bengaluru lose to Chennai Super Kings in Saturday's match, LSG can end the season in that position. Rahul said he was disappointed not to make the playoffs. At the start of the season, he believed they had the team to go all the way, but injuries disrupted their balance.

"Very disappointing. At the start of the season, I felt we had a very strong season and most bases covered. A couple of injuries happen every season, but the guys who left dented us a bit. We didn't play well enough collectively and couldn't come together as much as we wanted to. Today was the kind of game we wanted to play more, with both bowlers and batters performing well," he added.