Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared a viral post-match moment on the field after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 31).

Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) 5-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans, cameras captured Kohli walking up to the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals prodigy. Kohli placed his arm around Sooryavanshi’s shoulder and chatted light-heartedly with him for a couple of minutes.

Sooryavanshi was present at the stadium to collect a record-breaking haul of post-season awards, including the Orange Cap (finishing as the tournament’s highest run-getter with 776 runs), Emerging Player of the Season, and Most Valuable Player.

The interaction quickly went viral on platforms like X and Instagram, with fans and pundits calling it a symbolic passing of the torch from the present legend to the future of world cricket.

While Sooryavanshi took home the individual accolades, Kohli anchored RCB’s successful, back-to-back title defence with a decisive, unbeaten 75 off 42 balls to chase down Gujarat’s 155/8.

Kohli’s earlier praise

The exact audio or specific words from the chat were not picked up by microphones, but Kohli also made another light-hearted remark on the teen prodigy without naming him.

Asked about his 25-ball half-century, Kohli said half in jest, “Such is the demand (that) super young players (are) pushing you to up the ante.” The seriousness of his statement wasn’t lost on anyone though.

In their viral chat following the IPL 2026 final, body language experts and commentators noted that Kohli appeared to be congratulating him on his historic five-award sweep.

Kohli was seen smiling warmly, embracing the teenager, and offering mentorship-style guidance with an arm over his shoulder.

Earlier in the season, after Sooryavanshi smashed a 26-ball 78 against RCB, Kohli publically praised him by stating that the youngster “almost single-handedly defeated us”. He explicitly described Sooryavanshi as “India’s future” and lauded his extraordinary, fearless skill set against world-class bowlers.

During that same league-stage encounter, Kohli met the teenager and gave him an autographed Rajasthan Royals cap.

Kohli penned a personal, encouraging note on it reading: “Dear Vaibhav, well done.”

In big league

Sooryavanshi, who sported a new smart haircut, was spotted sitting in the stands in the same box as ICC chairman Jay Shah, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar called the 15-year-old “truly special”, praising his magnificent technique and advising the cricket world not to put pressure on the young prodigy. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Tendulkar broke down exactly what makes the Rajasthan Royals batter standout following his record-shattering 776-run IPL 2026 campaign.

Tendulkar noted he was deeply fascinated by the teenager’s wrists. He explained that excellent wrist work is what allows Sooryavanshi to play effortlessly in all directions of the ground. He dismissed any claims that the youngster simply muscles the ball. Tendulkar noted that Sooryavanshi picks up the line and length of the ball much earlier than other players, letting him clear the boundary ropes comfortably.

In an earlier viral social media post, Tendulkar heavily praised Sooryavanshi’s 29-ball 97 against SRH, specifically lauding his spectacular bat swing and how beautifully he clears his front foot to create room against leg-side deliveries.

A word of advice

Tendulkar strongly warned mentors and coaches against “playing around with his natural instincts”. He stated that filling the boy’s head with too many instructions could interrupt his natural response to the ball.

While Tendulkar admitted that everyone eventually wants to see Sooryavanshi play Test cricket, he emphasized the importance of patience. He asked fans and selectors to support his growth naturally without constant pressure regarding team selection.

His ultimate life advice to the 15-year-old was to “just be himself” and maintain a solution-oriented mindset when confronting new challenges.