Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has opened up on his memorable interaction with Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final, admitting that speaking to his childhood idol felt “like a dream” and how he admired the cap signed by him.
The 15-year-old batting prodigy, who enjoyed a record-breaking season and finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, was among the players who met Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched their second successive IPL title in Ahmedabad. The heartwarming interaction between the two quickly went viral after videos surfaced on social media, showing Kohli sharing words of encouragement with the young opener.
However, for Sooryavanshi, the moment meant much more than a simple conversation.
‘I was a huge Virat Kohli fan’
Speaking in a video shared by Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi revealed that he had long admired Kohli and even supported RCB because of the former India captain.
“Sir, main aapko sach bataun. Jab Virat bhaiya ne aisa kandhe par haath rakha to main pehle RCB ka bhi fan tha. Actually main Virat Kohli ka bahut hi bada fan tha,” Vaibhav said.
The youngster further revealed that before winning the Orange Cap this season, he often wore a cap signed by Kohli.
“Haan maine jab Orange Cap nahi rehta tha mere paas, to main wahi cap pehenta tha. Jab unhone mere kandhe par haath dala, mujhe wo baat kar rahe the to mujhe matlab actually mujhe lag raha tha jaise dream sa hai ” he added.
“Jis tareeke se unhone baat kiya, laga hi nahi ki wo actually Virat Kohli hain,” Vaibhav stated.
According to Sooryavanshi, Kohli interacted with him like an elder brother rather than one of the biggest stars in world cricket.
“Ek bade bhai ke taur par unhone mujhe samjhaya ki main kya achha kar raha hoon, mujhe aur kya achha karna chahiye, kis cheez par focus karna chahiye aur future mein kya karna chahiye,” Vaibhav concluded.
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Kohli’s advice for the rising star
During their conversation, Kohli encouraged the teenager to stay focused and continue believing in himself despite the growing attention around him.
“Yahan se upar jana hai. Jo hua hai, achhi mehnat aur achhe belief ki wajah se hua hai, Kaun kya bol raha hai, kaise bol raha hai, keep all of that out of your mind. Just focus on your batting and yourself, ” Virat said to Sooryvanshi after winning trophy in Ahmedabad.
Kohli then ended the conversation with a smile and a memorable line that quickly became popular among fans:
“Ek Bihari, sab pe bhari… aur khatam game!”
