Teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has reflected on his memorable interaction with former India captain Virat Kohli after the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 held in May, describing the moment as nothing short of a dream.

The conversation between the two cricketers went viral on social media after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the title in Ahmedabad, defeating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets. A video shared by the victorious franchisee showed Kohli congratulating the 15-year-old on his extraordinary season and offering words of encouragement about handling expectations and building a long-term career.

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Although Sooryavanshi’s Rajasthan Royals lost in the second qualifier to Gujarat, the 15-year-old swashbuckling batter clinched several recognitions, including the Most Valuable Player, the Orange Cap (for most runs), and Best Emerging Player. He belted 776 runs in 16 innings in the tournament at a startling strike rate of 237.30. The exploits saw him earn his maiden international call for the upcoming away series against Ireland and England.

Kohli’s advice

Recounting his interaction, Sooryavanshi said he was stunned when Kohli approached him after the final. “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 told Rajasthan team manager Romi Bhinder in an interview.

The teen cricketer said Kohli’s advice felt more like guidance from an elder brother than a cricketing superstar. “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 said.

‘An RCB fan’

Sooryavanshi also revealed that he had followed both Kohli and RCB closely during his childhood and had once received Kohli’s autograph on one of his caps.

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“I wore that cap a lot. When I didn’t have the Orange Cap with me, I would wear that one,” he recalled.

Both batters had a great run

The IPL 2026 was a remarkable one for both the batters, who opened for their respective sides. While Sooryavanshi bagged several rewards and also surpassed Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of hitting the most number of sixes in a single season (he hit 72 to better the Universe Boss’s 59 blasted in 2012), Kohli too enjoyed another prolific campaign, scoring 675 runs and leading RCB’s batting charts as the franchise secured back-to-back IPL titles.

The 37-year-old scored an unbeaten 75 in the final to be adjudged the player of the match. The run-machine also scripted a plethora of other records during this tournament, including becoming the first-ever Indian player to register 14,000 T20 runs.

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Sooryavanshi’s sensational IPL season has earned him his maiden senior India call-up. The left-handed opener has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, marking another major milestone in his rapidly rising career. Getting selected for the national team at 15 also meant that Sooryavanshi eclipsed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record of getting picked at the age of 16, in 1989. The former India captain called Sooryavanshi a special talent.