Back in 2019, amid controversy over the ‘inappropriate’ comments made by cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on Koffee With Karan (KWK), their episode was pulled down by Disney+ Hotstar. Now, during an interview on WTF is with Nikhil Kamath, KL Rahul opened up about his KWK interview that saw him and Hardik face sanctions over ‘sexist’ comments made on the chat show.

‘The interview was a different world’

The cricketer, who is married to actor Athiya Shetty, said, "The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very shy, soft-spoken boy growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident, I had no problem being in a huge group of people. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people because I would talk to everyone."

'Scarred me massively’

He added, "Now I don't (do that) because that (KWK) interview scarred me massively. Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, I have never been punished in school. Matlab woh hua hi nahi hai mere saath (All this never happened to me). I don't know how to handle it. I did mischievous things in schools like chota mota (small things), but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have had to come. That (KWK interview and subsequent backlash) was my first (fall), and then you realise how bad it is."

KWK controversy

After their Koffee With Karan episode during the Karan Johar-hosted show’s sixth season in 2019, some of the comments made by the cricketers were seen as 'sexist'. 

Despite an apology to fans and their own teammates, they were suspended by the BCCI and ousted from a three-match ODI series against Australia. The duo was later fined ₹20 lakh each by the BCCI. Karan at the time had also said that he felt ‘very responsible’ about the repercussions that the cricketers had to face.

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