Before making a name for herself in Bollywood, Suniel Shetty he had a dream of becoming a cricketer. A lover of sports, the actor never thought that after many years, his daughter Athiya Shetty she may marry Indian cricketer KL Rahul. The couple got married in 2023 and are now parents to a daughter, Evaarah Vipula, who was born last year.Looking back on his first meeting with Rahul, Suniel revealed that he had met the former footballer before he was in the family, and at that time, he just admired him.“It was the time of a fanboy. I met him as a fan, before they met. Until today, that’s how I look at him – a person who speaks very well, soft, humble, and leaves a great impression on young people whenever and wherever he plays,” said the artist.Speaking to Mid-Day, Suniel shared that he avoids giving career advice to KL Rahul, just like he avoids doing it with his son, an actor. No Shetty. Instead, discussions at home focus on quality rather than performance.“I don’t give advice to both of my boys. As I say, we don’t talk about work at home; we talk about behavior. We keep it very, very simple,” he said.Despite his lifelong love of cricket and Rahul’s close ties to the game, Suniel admitted that he was never part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) boom. Reflecting on the early days of the league, he said they would have had a license but they did not have the support and environment that entrepreneurs have today.“I could have bought a group. If someone had supported me, I would probably have joined it. Today, you have investors, VCs (Venture Capitalists), and investors who are interested in investing with you. Back then, it was not like that. We couldn’t even think of spending a lot of money,” he admitted.The player thought again Shah Rukh KhanMaking a successful entry into the IPL is the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, which was bought for Rs 570 crore. He appreciated Shah Rukh’s time and support system, including his long-time collaborators Juhi Chawla and her husband, businessman Jay Mehta.“Shah Rukh was in the right place at the right time, and with the right people. And I, being a celebrity, was… as I said, Shah Rukh was in the right place,” Suniel admitted.Praising his co-star Main Hoon Na, he added, “I’ve always believed that Shah Rukh is an absolute visionary. Whatever he did in life, he did it beautifully.”Suniel Shetty was last seen Ahmed Khan‘s adventure comedy Welcome to the Jungle.