Cricket fever and cinema fandom came together in a wholesome crossover this weekend as a popular IPL star dropped by to meet one of Telugu cinema’s biggest names and his equally cricket-crazy son. What followed was a fan moment that quickly grabbed attention online.
Allu Arjun recently met cricketer Venkatesh Iyer, and the special interaction turned even more memorable for the actor’s son, Allu Ayaan, who received a signed jersey from the IPL player.
Sharing pictures from the meeting on X, the Pushpa: The Rise star was seen welcoming Venkatesh with a bouquet, while another photo showed Ayaan proudly posing with the autographed jersey gifted by the cricketer.
Alongside the pictures, Allu Arjun wrote, “It was a pleasure meeting talented young Indian
cricketer @venkateshiyer garu today. Special thanks to him for gifting #AlluAyaan a special signed jersey. Wishing you all the very best for your future endeavours. Warm regards.”
It was a pleasure meeting talented young Indian cricketer @venkateshiyer garu today.
Special thanks to him for gifting #AlluAyaan a special signed jersey.
Wishing you all the very best for your future endeavours. Warm regards 🖤 pic.twitter.com/ME8w1CVSgp— Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) May 23, 2026
The interaction struck a chord with fans, especially because Ayaan’s love for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli is already well known online.
Last year, after RCB lifted the IPL trophy by defeating Punjab Kings, Allu Arjun had shared a now-viral video capturing Ayaan’s emotional reaction to the win. Posting the clip on Instagram, the actor had written, “Ayaan getting super emotional. #viratkohli fan boy moment. Soo cute my chinni babu #alluayaan #rcb #ipl2025.”
In the video, Arjun could be heard laughing while checking on his son, who emotionally responded, “I love Kohli, I like Kohli so much. I got into cricket cause of him.” Overcome with excitement, Ayaan was seen lying face down on the floor, screaming with joy and even pouring water on his head before shouting, “Finally, we did it,” at the end of the clip.
On the work front, Allu Arjun was last seen in Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar. He is now gearing up for his next big project, Raaka, directed by Atlee. The film’s title and poster were unveiled on the actor’s birthday last month and sparked major buzz online, especially because of Arjun’s intense bald look with kohl-lined eyes and animal claws. The sci-fi entertainer is expected to release in 2027.
Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer has had limited appearances for RCB this IPL season but made a strong impact during the team’s recent clash against Punjab Kings. His unbeaten 73 off 40 balls played a crucial role in RCB’s victory, helping the side become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. In three innings so far, the batter has scored 114 runs, with the PBKS knock standing as his highest score of the tournament.
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