Virat Kohli’s warm gesture toward Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after their IPL 2026 clash has captured plenty of attention online. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting star was impressed by what he saw from the 15-year-old, who produced an explosive display in a chase to earn Rajasthan a comfortable six-wicket victory. Sooryavanshi struck 78 runs off just 26 balls, steering RR’s innings in a way that kept the match comfortably in their control as they chased a challenging target of 203. His knock did more than lift the team—it also helped him claim the IPL 2026 Orange Cap, with the young batter’s performances quickly turning heads across the league.
Kohli, having seen the youngster’s power-hitting up close, offered encouragement as well. After the game, Sooryavanshi managed to get an autograph from Kohli, with the former India captain signing his Rajasthan Royals cap and writing a message for him. Kohli’s note read: “Dear Vaibhav, well done.” He added that it was “a job well done with a long road ahead!”—a line that underlined the belief that the teenager’s best days could still be ahead of him.
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag also heaped praise on Sooryavanshi at the post-match presentation, describing the teenager as someone the entire squad enjoys having around. Parag said the youngster is a fun-loving character within the dressing room, and suggested that the team makes sure he gets what he likes as long as he continues to bat in the same fearless manner. Parag highlighted that Sooryavanshi enjoys typical “kid” things, including eating and going out, and pointed out that the batter’s happiness and enthusiasm seem to match his attacking approach on the field.
Parag’s comments were clear: “I think everyone loves him. Everyone loves having him around. He likes eating stuff. He likes going out and stuff like that. So we make sure we make that available for him. And he’s a 16-year-old kid, 15-year-old, whatever it is. Yeah, doing kiddish things. And he’s happy with that. He likes a lot of batting. So we make sure that is presented to him. And if he keeps on batting like that, I think whatever he wants,” Parag said.
On the field, the numbers reflected exactly why the youngster was receiving such admiration. With Rajasthan chasing 202, Sooryavanshi set the tone early with a scorching 78 from 26 deliveries, while Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 81 to finish the job. Sooryavanshi struck eight fours and seven sixes during his innings, and his overall run tally—200 runs across just four matches—was enough to put him at the top of the Orange Cap standings for IPL 2026.
