Watch: Virat Kohli’s playful beard gesture towards Shubman Gill goes viral ahead of IPL 2026 Qualifier 1

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (Videos) NEW DELHI: A light moment between Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill ahead of the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 has hit social media and added more buzz to the sensational clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala.The two batting stars exchanged cordial greetings during the pre-match interaction at the picturesque HPCA Stadium, where the two best teams of the season will battle it out for a direct berth in the finals on Tuesday. In the viral clip, Kohli and Gill burst into laughter the moment they saw each other before shaking hands and embracing warmly. But what really caught the attention of the fans was Kohli’s playful antics after the hug.The former RCB captain was seen touching Gill’s face and seemingly teasing him about his beard, leaving the players and support staff nearby smiling. The candid moment quickly went viral on social media, with fans calling it one of the healthiest visuals of the season.WATCH:

Kohli vs Gill adds more spice to Qualifier 1

The viral interaction comes ahead of one of the biggest matches of IPL 2026 as both RCB and GT enter the playoffs as the two standout teams of the league stage.Both sides finished with 18 points from 14 matches, although RCB topped the table thanks to a better clean sheet under skipper Rajat Patidar.RCB’s title defense was fueled by explosive batting and a much more balanced bowling attack than in previous years. Kohli’s consistency at the top, combined with the pace threats of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have helped the defending champions repeatedly dominate high-scoring contests.GT, meanwhile, proved to be arguably the most complete bowling unit of the tournament.Gill led calmly from the front while Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler formed one of the most dangerous top orders of the season.Their bowling attack, which featured Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan, continuously throttled the opposition during the second half of the tournament.GT head into the knockout clash with momentum firmly on their side after beating Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs in their last league match.But before the high-pressure battle begins, it was Kohli’s playful moment with Gill that gave fans a rare relaxed glimpse of two generations of Indian batting stars sharing a laugh together.