Both players were temporarily suspended from Team India while on tour in Australia, forcing them to return home early. Although the suspension was lifted after a few days, allowing them to play in the IPL and join India’s 2019 World Cup squad, the incident left a lasting impact on Rahul.
In a recent podcast with Nikhil Kamath, where he was joined by Kriti Sanon and Badshah, Rahul opened up about the controversy and how it affected him personally. He shared that while he wasn’t specifically referring to that event, the fallout had a profound effect on his personality and confidence.
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul Mark First Anniversary with Romantic Candlelit Dinner
“The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very soft-spoken person growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. People will know 1 have been in a room of 100 people. Now I don’t because that interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, punished in school. I don’t know how to handle it. I did mischief in schools but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have come,” Rahul reflected.
During an episode of Koffee with Karan, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul shared candid details about their personal lives. Pandya boasted about his experiences, including telling his parents about losing his virginity and pointing out women at a party, saying, “They were like ‘waah proud of you beta’.” He also made controversial remarks about observing how women move, attributing it to his “black side.” When asked about dating the same woman, Rahul mentioned that it’s up to the woman, but Pandya interjected, saying, “It’s based on talent; whoever gets her, takes her.”