Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Photo: RCB/Screengrab)
Rajasthan Royals star Vaibhav Suryavanshi spoke about his memorable interaction with Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final, admitting that talking to his childhood idol was a “dream” and how impressed he was by the cap he signed.The 15-year-old batting prodigy, who enjoyed a record-breaking season and finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer, was among the players who met Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their second successive Indian Premier League title in Ahmedabad. The intimate 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 Suryavanshi, that moment meant much more than a simple conversation.
“I was a big fan of Virat Kohli.”
Speaking in a video shared by Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi revealed that he has been a fan of Kohli for a long time and even supported RCB because of the former India captain.“Sir, my boss aapko sach bataun. Jab Virat bhaiya ne aisa kandhe par haath rakha to main pehle RCB ka bhi fan tha. In fact, main Virat Kohli ka bahut hi bada fan tha,” Vaibhav said. The youngster also 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 said.
According to Suryavanshi, Kohli interacted with him like a big brother and not like 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.
Kohli’s advice to the rising star
During their conversation, Kohli encouraged the teenager to stay focused and keep believing in himself despite the increasing attention around him. “Yahan se upar jana hai. Jo hua hai, achhi mehnat aur achhe Faith ki wajah se hua hai, Kaun kya bol raha hai, kaise bol raha hai, keep all that out of your mind. Just focus on your batting and yourself,” Virat told Sooryavanshi after winning the trophy in Ahmedabad. Kohli then ended the conversation with a smile and a memorable line that quickly became popular among fans:“Ek bihari, sab bi bhari… game aur khatam!”