Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has finally opened up about his much-talked-about interaction with Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final, revealing that the moment felt nothing short of a dream. The 15-year-old batting sensation said he was overwhelmed when Kohli personally took time to speak with him following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning night in Ahmedabad.
The exchange between Kohli and Sooryavanshi quickly went viral after cameras captured the former India captain approaching the Rajasthan Royals youngster shortly after RCB sealed their second successive IPL title at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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Speaking in an interview with Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder on the franchise’s social media channels, Sooryavanshi reflected on the memorable conversation with one of his childhood idols.
“To tell you the truth, when Virat bhai put his hand on my shoulder like that, I was shocked. I used to support RCB and I was a very big fan of Virat Kohli. When he was talking to me, I genuinely felt like I was dreaming,” Sooryavanshi said.
“The way he spoke to me, it didn’t feel like I was talking to Virat Kohli. He spoke like an elder brother. He explained what I was doing well, what I should improve, what areas I should focus on and how I should approach things in the future,” he added.
The teenager enjoyed a breakthrough IPL campaign with Rajasthan Royals, becoming one of the biggest stories of the season. His fearless batting saw him dominate bowling attacks across the tournament as he finished with a staggering 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.31.
His performances earned him multiple individual honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player award and the Super Striker award. He also broke Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the most sixes hit in a single IPL season.
WHAT DID KOHLI AND SOORYAVANSHI TALK ABOUT?
The conversation between Kohli and Sooryavanshi came after the IPL 2026 final, with the RCB star personally congratulating the teenager on his remarkable season.
A video shared by RCB shortly after the final showed Kohli praising Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach and encouraging him to continue working hard. The veteran batter also offered advice on handling expectations and maintaining consistency as his career progresses.
For Sooryavanshi, the interaction carried extra significance given his admiration for Kohli while growing up.
The youngster revealed that he had followed both Kohli and RCB closely in his early cricketing years and even received an autograph from the former India captain on one of his caps, making the post-final conversation even more special.
WHAT NEXT FOR VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI?
Sooryavanshi’s sensational IPL campaign has now earned him his maiden senior India call-up.
The left-handed opener has been included in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, marking another major milestone in his rapidly rising career.
Having rewritten several IPL records and established himself as one of the brightest young talents in world cricket, Sooryavanshi will now have the opportunity to test himself at the international level.
With confidence soaring after a record-breaking IPL season and valuable advice from one of India’s greatest cricketers, the teenager heads into the next phase of his journey carrying plenty of momentum and even bigger expectations.
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