Sonal Chauhan has been the unexpected highlight of the last few Mumbai Indians (MI) matches, because of her presence in the stands. However, the 37-year-old actor, whose appearances at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium have sparked social media frenzy, says she had no idea it would blow up the way it has.

“It was completely unexpected,” Sonal shared in a candid conversation with us. “I was there just to watch the match and didn’t even realize I was on TV until people started sending me screenshots and memes. The whole thing has just blown up — it’s a pleasant surprise, honestly,” she added.

A ‘diehard MI fan’, she was especially thrilled to witness cricketer Rohit Sharma’s return to form: “I’ve always said he is one of a kind. Watching him bat is like watching art — he’s effortless and focused. He’s not trying to be cool, he just is.”

Despite all the chatter online — some of which includes debates around camera focus on female fans — Sonal brushed aside the objectification narrative. “I don’t think it’s about the cameramen. IPL is watched across the country by families. I think it’s more about what catches the eye of the audience,” she explained.

While this social media attention is new, one thing that’s constant is the demand from fans to see her reunite with her Jannat (2008) co-star, Emraan Hashmi on screen. “I’ve been getting requests for a Jannat sequel for years now — on social media, in my DMs, even when people meet me. I really hope it happens because fans would be very happy.”