Virat Kohli spoke to me like elder brother: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
What's the story
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the rising star of Indian cricket, has opened up about a pep talk he received from Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final. The conversation took place between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. After RCB's back-to-back title win, Kohli was seen chatting with Sooryavanshi on camera.
Stellar season
Sooryavanshi's stellar season and first India call-up
Sooryavanshi had a stellar season in IPL 2026, scoring a whopping 776 runs at an impressive strike rate of 237.31. His performance not only earned him the Orange Cap award but also earned him his first senior India call-up for the upcoming series against Ireland and England. "I was a fan of RCB before. Actually, I was a big fan of Virat Kohli. When Virat bhaiya placed his hand on my shoulder like that and when he was talking to me, it actually felt like a dream come true," said Sooryavanshi in an interview with Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder.
Dream come true
Kohli bhaiya spoke to me like an elder brother
The 15-year-old cricketer described his interaction with Kohli as a dream come true. "When Virat bhaiya placed his hand on my shoulder like that and when he was talking to me, it actually felt like a dream come true," he said in an interview with Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder. He also added that Kohli spoke to him like an elder brother, explaining things and telling him what focus he should have.
Wise words
Kohli advises Sooryavanshi to ignore outside noise
In a video shared by RCB's official handle, Kohli was seen advising Sooryavanshi to keep up the good work and go from strength to strength. "You have to go even higher from here. Whatever you have achieved is because of your hard work and self-belief," said Kohli. He also advised the young cricketer not to pay attention to what others say or how they say it.
Record breaker
Records broken by Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026
Sooryavanshi also broke Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in a single edition of IPL, having hit 72 in 2026. He won five awards for his stellar performance, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, and Super Striker. Earlier this year, he had scored 175 runs in the U19 World Cup final against England. Despite fears of second-season blues in IPL, he continued to dominate world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada.