Sooryavanshi and Kohli shared a heartwarming post-match interaction during the recently held IPL.
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has openly admitted that he grew up supporting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and was a massive admirer of Virat Kohli.
Sooryavanshi and Kohli shared a heartwarming post-match interaction during the recently concluded IPL 2026 season.
The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener acknowledged that having his childhood idol put a comforting hand on his shoulder felt like an absolute dream. The youngster further stated that Kohli spoke to him like an "elder brother," breaking down what he was doing right and areas where he could improve.
“I’ll tell you the truth. When Virat bhaiya put his hand on my shoulder like that… I was also an RCB fan earlier. Actually, I was a very big fan of Virat Kohli… When he put his hand on my shoulder, when he was talking to me, I actually felt like it was a dream," Sooryavanshi said in a video on the Rajasthan Royals’ YouTube channel.
“The way he spoke to me, it didn’t even feel like it was actually Virat Kohli. Like an elder brother, the way he made me understand, the way he told me what I’m doing well, what more I should do well, what I should focus on, where to pay attention, and what to do in the future," he added.
After one of Sooryavanshi's explosive knocks in the IPL 2026, Kohli personally gifted him an autographed cap with the encouraging note, "Dear Vaibhav, well done", written on it.
The batting prodigy revealed that whenever he didn’t have the Orange Cap, he would wear the signed one.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also shared insights into his conversations with ICC Chairman and former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, noting that the administrator constantly advised him to stay grounded and focus heavily on his game.
“Jay sir, he also meets me whenever he sees me and explains a lot of things, that I have to stay focused, I have to go very far, I have to pay attention to the game, stay grounded, and just focus on my work," he remarked.
Sooryavanshi finished the IPL 2026 season as the leading run-scorer with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including one hundred and five half-centuries. His campaign featured an all-time record of 72 sixes. He made IPL history by sweeping five major individual awards, including the Orange Cap and Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Thanks to his stunning exploits, Sooryavanshi earned his maiden senior national call-up to India's T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as for the 2026 Asian Games.