Royal Challengers Bengaluru may have completed a historic IPL title defence on Sunday night, but one of the most memorable moments after the final involved a player from a different team altogether.
As celebrations unfolded following RCB's five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans, cameras caught Virat Kohli walking over to Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The RCB star put an arm around the teenager and appeared to share a few words of encouragement with him.
While the conversation itself wasn't audible, former RCB teammate AB de Villiers later revealed exactly what Kohli thought of the 15-year-old.
What Virat Kohli Thinks of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Speaking during the post-match broadcast, De Villiers said Kohli was full of praise for Sooryavanshi as the youngster walked up to collect
his Orange Cap.
"Do you want to know what Virat said? I did have a brief chat with Virat, and as Vaibhav was walking up to the stage to receive his Orange Cap trophy, Virat raised his eyebrows and said, 'AB, this kid is special. The boy can play. '"
The endorsement carries significant weight coming from one of the greatest batters of the modern era. It also came less than a day after Sachin Tendulkar publicly backed Sooryavanshi as a future Test cricketer, while urging caution over rushing his development.
Why Virat Kohli was so impressed with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Few players have dominated an IPL season the way Sooryavanshi did in 2026.
King meets Bihari Monster 💀 pic.twitter.com/927R0z8kF3
- सीतामढ़ी जिला 🇮🇳 (@SitamarhiJila) June 1, 2026
The Rajasthan Royals opener finished with the Orange Cap after scoring 776 runs in just 16 innings. More remarkably, he did so at a staggering strike rate of 237.30 while averaging 48.50.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's IPL 2026 numbers
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 16 |
| Runs | 776 |
| Average | 48.50 |
| Strike Rate | 237.30 |
| Hundreds | 1 |
| Fifties | 5 |
| Orange Cap | Winner |
| Most Sixes | IPL record |
Sooryavanshi also rewrote the record books by breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing record for most sixes in a single IPL season and came within one delivery of registering the fastest century in tournament history.
A meeting of two generations
The image of Kohli embracing Sooryavanshi was symbolic in more ways than one.
Kohli made his international debut in 2008, several years before Sooryavanshi was even born. Yet on Sunday night, Indian cricket's present and possible future shared a moment after both enjoyed extraordinary seasons.
Kohli finished IPL 2026 with 675 runs at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.85 - arguably one of the most complete seasons of his career. But even amid RCB's championship celebrations, the 37-year-old took time to acknowledge the teenager who had captured the imagination of the cricketing world.
With endorsements now coming from both Tendulkar and Kohli, Sooryavanshi's remarkable breakout season has received perhaps the highest praise possible. The challenge now will be ensuring one of Indian cricket's brightest prospects continues to develop without being burdened by the weight of expectation.
