‘Main wahi cap pehenta tha’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi recalls wearing Virat Kohli’s autographed cap

Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image: RCB/Screengrab) Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has opened up about his memorable interaction with Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final, admitting that talking to his childhood idol was “like a dream” and how he admired the cap he signed.The 15-year-old batting prodigy, who enjoyed a record-breaking season and finished as the tournament’s top scorer, was one of the players who met Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their second straight IPL title in Ahmedabad. The heartwarming interaction between the two quickly went viral after videos of Kohli sharing words of encouragement with the young opener surfaced on social media.But for Sooryavanshi, the moment meant much more than just a conversation.

“I was a big fan of Virat Kohli”

In a video shared by Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi revealed that he has long admired Kohli and even supported RCB because of the former Indian captain.“Sir, I will tell you the truth. When Virat bhaiya put his hand on my shoulder like that, I was also a fan of RCB. In fact, I was a big fan of Virat Kohli,” said Vaibhav. The youngster further revealed that before winning the Orange Cap this season, he often wore a cap signed by Kohli.“Haan, when the orange cap didn’t stay close to me, I was wearing the same cap. When he put his hand on my shoulder and talked to me, I think I actually felt like it was a dream,” he added. “The way he was talking, I didn’t think he was actually Virat Kohli,” Vaibhav said. According to Sooryavanshi, Kohli interacted with him more like an elder brother than one of the biggest stars in world cricket.“As a big brother, he made me understand what I was doing, what else I should be doing, what I should be focusing on and what I should be doing in the future,” concluded Vaibhav.

Kohli’s advice to a rising star

During their conversation, Kohli encouraged the teenager to focus and continue to believe in himself, despite the increasing attention around him. “This is the way to overcome. Whatever happened, it happened in the face of good hard work and good faith, who is saying what, what kind of talk is being said, keep all that out of your mind. Just focus on your bat and yourself,” said Virat Sooryvanshi after winning the trophy in Ahmedabad. Kohli then ended the interview with a smile and a memorable line that quickly became popular among fans:“Ek Bihari, sab pe bhari… aur khatam game!”