Bollywood and cricket have always shared a special connection in India, but for veteran actor Suniel Shetty, the relationship with the sport goes far beyond celebrity appearances and stadium visits. The ‘Dhadkan’ star has revealed that cricket was a major part of his childhood and that his admiration for Rohit Sharma began long before the Indian batting great became an international superstar.

Appearing on ‘Family Full House with Rohit Sharma’, Shetty opened up about his lifelong fascination with the game. He also revealed that he had been following Rohit’s progress since the cricketer was just 16 or 17 years old.

Suniel Shetty recalls his childhood cricket obsession

Shetty’s love for cricket developed during an era when watching international matches was nowhere near as easy as it is today.

The Bollywood actor recalled going out of his way to study the game’s finest players. With limited cricket coverage available on television, he would visit the Indo-American Society to watch footage and clippings of fast bowlers.

Explaining just how deeply he was invested in the sport, Shetty joked, “Shayad jitna inhone cricket nahi khela hoga, utna maine khayalon mein khela hai.”

The comment translates roughly to him having played more cricket in his imagination than some players had actually played.

His connection with cricket was not restricted to watching either. During the conversation, Rohit noted that Shetty had also played Under-19 cricket, something that helps explain the actor’s detailed interest in the technical side of the game.

Suniel Shetty has followed Rohit since his teenage years

One of the most interesting revelations came when Shetty discussed how early he had spotted Rohit’s potential.

The actor said he had followed Rohit since the Mumbai batter was around 16 or 17 years old. Dr PV Shetty, who played an important mentoring role during Rohit’s younger days, would regularly speak about the talented youngster. That encouraged Suniel to watch Rohit play and follow his development closely.

Long before the centuries, international trophies and famous pull shots arrived, Shetty had already become an admirer.

He remembered the teenage Rohit as a much younger version of the batter fans know today, but felt his natural ability and the time he appeared to have while playing shots were already visible.

Why Rohit reminds Shetty of Viv Richards?

Shetty also revealed that legendary West Indies batter Sir Vivian Richards remains his all-time favourite cricketer.

However, there was something about Rohit’s batting that reminded him of the Caribbean icon.

Shetty summed up the similarity with the memorable line: “Same swag, woh Caribbean swag, yeh Desi swag.”

Rather than suggesting the two had identical batting styles, Shetty was referring to their presence at the crease — the sense of time, confidence and effortless authority they could display while dominating bowlers.

For a lifelong Richards admirer, that comparison explains just how highly Shetty regarded Rohit even during his formative years.

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Rohit remembers meeting Suniel Shetty at 16

Interestingly, the admiration goes back far enough for Rohit to remember one of their earliest meetings.

Rohit recalled being around 16 years old and representing Indian Oil in a match at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. While padded up and waiting for his turn to bat, the youngster learned that Suniel Shetty was coming to watch the game.

Initially, Rohit wondered why a major Bollywood actor would turn up for such a match.

The answer soon became obvious.

Suniel sat alongside Dr PV Shetty and became completely absorbed in the cricket rather than treating the occasion like a celebrity appearance. Rohit remembered watching him from the side and noticing that his attention remained firmly on what was happening on the field.

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