In India, Bollywood and cricket always go hand-in-hand as the nation has an obsession for cricket, cricketers have always been treated as ultimate celebrities and the stars have constantly wooed Bollywood divas as well. Starting from the former skipper, MAK Pataudi to current skipper Virat Kohli, numerous cricketers have dated or married Bollywood actresses.

And KL Rahul seems to have decided to walk in the same direction. The India star has been in news all over for reportedly dating Bollywood diva Athiya Shetty. Neither Rahul nor Athiya have expressed their views on the alleged love affair but it has not stopped the rumors to dominate the headlines. What has further triggered rumors is their outings together as well as interactions on social media.

Interestingly, neither of the two has denied their relationship which almost made the people feel that the rumors are true. But Athiya has now finally respond on the alleged relationship reports doing the rounds in the media. According to the Times of India, the actress said the rumors and reports do not bother her at all.

ALSO READ: Dilip Doshi Has a Say on Sourav Ganguly and His Impact on Indian Cricket

She further added that no matter what the question is people are not going to get any reaction from her side. Athiya also added that she did not want to speak publicly about something so personal and private – whether it’s friendship, relationships or family. She said that she wanted to keep her private life away from the spotlight.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul is not having a great time with the bat on the field. While he had a decent outing in the World Cup, things have not gone well for him post the tournament. He had a forgettable outing during the West Indies tour and paid the price by losing his spot in the Test team. And with both Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal doing well against South Africa, it looks unlikely he will return to the team any time soon.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Maintains No.1 Ranking In T20I Despite Losing Consecutive Series

However, Rahul had a good outing in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. With a tally of 598 runs, he finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter and helped Karnataka win the title. Rahul is currently a part of India’s T20I squad for the ongoing three-match series against Bangladesh.