KL Rahul and Suniel Shetty Bollywood actor and cricketer KL Rahul’s father-in-law, Suniel Shetty, has weighed in on the heated debate around India’s participation in the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan. The match has become the centre of a national conversation after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of Indian tourists, sparking demands for a boycott.
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Shetty, whose daughter Athiya is married to India’s wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, said that players should not be held accountable for decisions beyond their control. “It’s a world sporting body. They have to abide by those rules and regulations because there are a lot of other sports and a lot of athletes who are involved in them. As Indians, I think that is our personal call that we have to take, whether we want to see it, whether we don’t want to see it, whether we want to go or not go and that’s a call India has to take but you cannot blame cricketers for playing because they are sportsmen, they are expected to represent the country,” he remarked. “I think that’s a call we have to take. If I’m not going to see it, I’m not going to see it. It’s for you to decide what each one of you wants to do. It’s not in BCCI’s hands. It’s a world sporting body and you can’t blame anybody.”Meanwhile, within the Indian camp, the coaching staff has urged the squad to focus solely on the game. Fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted the sensitivity of the situation but stressed that the players must follow official directives. “The players are aware of the public sentiment, and we have spoken about it within the group. But our role is to play cricket and follow government and BCCI instructions,” he said. He further noted, “Sport and politics should ideally stay apart. I do understand the emotions, but we are guided by what the authorities decide. That is the line we are following.”Echoing head coach Gautam Gambhir’s guidance, Ten Doeschate highlighted the mantra of “control the controllables.” Gambhir himself had taken a harder line earlier, insisting, “No match, no film, nothing is more valuable than the lives of Indian soldiers and citizens.”
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