Actor Suniel Shetty has revealed the depth of his love for cricket and his decades-long admiration for Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, recounting how he first tracked Rohit as a teenager playing for Indian Oil at a ground in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. The candid conversation took place on the celebrity chat show 'Family Full House with Rohit Sharma', airing on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.

A Lifelong Cricket Obsession

Shetty, known for his roles in films like Hera Pheri and Dhadkan, spoke at length about how cricket has been a consuming passion throughout his life. He recalled going out of his way to watch footage of pace bowlers at the Indo-American Society during an era when live cricket was rarely televised.

In his own words: 'Main kitna bada cricket buff hoon woh duniya jaanti hai. Shayad jitna inhone cricket nahi khela hoga, utna maine khayalon mein khela hai. Pehle zamaane mein television pe aate nahi the, toh pace bowlers ko dekhne Indo-American Society jaata tha, aur unke rushes dekhne ke liye, unki clippings dekhne ke liye.' ('I am known to be a huge cricket buff. Perhaps I have played more cricket in my imagination than they have actually played. In those days, cricket matches were not shown much on television, so I would go to the Indo-American Society to watch pace bowlers and see their footage and clippings.')

From Sir Viv Richards to Rohit Sharma

Shetty named Sir Viv Richards as his all-time favourite cricketer, a preference he says has not changed. He also disclosed that he has been following Rohit Sharma since Rohit was approximately 16 to 17 years old, guided by mutual acquaintance and Rohit's mentor Dr. PV Shetty.

Shetty explained the connection in his own words: 'Mere hamesha favourite cricketer rahe the aur aaj bhi mere favourite hi hain Sir Viv Richards. Aur main Rohit ko shayad jab se woh 16–17 saal ka tha, tab se follow karta aa raha hoon. Dr. PV Shetty Rohit ke baare mein hamesha baat karte the.' ('My favourite cricketer has always been Sir Viv Richards, and he remains my favourite even today. I have been following Rohit since he was around 16 or 17 years old. Dr. PV Shetty would often talk about Rohit.')

He also drew a vivid parallel between the two players: 'Toh main uss waqt bhi bolta tha ki agar Sir Viv Richards ki koi mujhe yaad dilata hai, it's Rohit Sharma. Same swag, woh Caribbean swag, yeh Desi swag.' ('Even then, I used to say that if anyone reminded me of Sir Viv Richards, it was Rohit Sharma. The same swag — that Caribbean swag in him, and this desi swag in Rohit.')

Rohit's Memory of That First Encounter

Rohit Sharma himself recalled the early meeting with warmth and a touch of amusement. He remembered being padded up and ready to bat in a match for Indian Oil at Bandra Kurla Complex when he was informed that Shetty was in the stands.

Rohit shared: 'Mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai jo Suniel sir ne bataya ki main 16 saal ka tha aur main apni company ke liye khel raha tha, Indian Oil ke liye... Tabhi mujhe pata chala ki sir wahan par aane wale hain. Toh maine bola, yeh kaunsa match hai? Yahan pe kyun aayenge?' ('I still remember what Suniel sir mentioned. I was 16 and playing for my company, Indian Oil... That's when I found out that sir was going to be there. I thought, "What kind of match is this? Why would he come here?"')

The Role of Mentor Dr. PV Shetty

Rohit also acknowledged the pivotal role played by Dr. PV Shetty, who served as his mentor during his formative years and was the bridge that connected the two. Rohit recalled: 'Jab main baitha tha aur Suniel sir aake baithe PV Shetty ke saath, jo mere mentor the... Unhone mujhe bola ki, "Aapko inse milna chahiye, yeh bahut cricket pasand karte hain." Main bola, of course kaun nahi milna chahta. Lekin main dekh raha tha inko side se hi ki kar kya rahe hain yeh. Par inka dhyaan poora cricket pe tha.' ('I was sitting there when Suniel sir came and sat with PV Shetty, who was my mentor... He told me, "You should meet him, he really loves cricket." I thought, of course, who wouldn't want to meet him? But I was watching him from the side to see what he was doing. His entire attention, however, was on the cricket.')

Notably, Shetty also revealed that he played Under-19 cricket, underscoring that his connection to the sport goes well beyond the role of a celebrity spectator. The episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes window into the personal networks that shaped Rohit Sharma's early career — and the unlikely fans who watched from the boundary.