Virat Kohli had a special message for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following the conclusion of a remarkable IPL 2026 season. It was a night that celebrated two of the tournament’s biggest stars, one who led his team to championship glory and another who captured the imagination of cricket fans with a breakthrough campaign for the ages.After Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their second consecutive IPL title, Kohli was seen congratulating Sooryavanshi, who swept the season awards. The young prodigy was named Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, Super Sixes of the Season, Orange Cap winner, and Most Valuable Player, capping off a sensational tournament.Kohli, meanwhile, had plenty of reasons to celebrate himself. The RCB veteran was named Player of the Match in the final after smashing an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, finishing the chase with a six to seal the title and spark jubilant celebrations among the Bengaluru faithful. Following the presentation ceremony, Kohli and Sooryavanshi shared a heartwarming interaction on the field. In a video later posted by RCB, the former India captain could be seen offering words of encouragement to the youngster and urging him to stay focused despite the growing attention around him.“Yahan se upar jana. Jo hua hai mehnat ki wajah se hua hai, believe ki wajah se hua hai. Kaun kya bol raha hai, kaise bol raha hai, chhod de,” Kohli told the youngster.(Keep moving forward from here. Whatever you have achieved has come because of your hard work and self-belief. Don’t pay attention to what people say or how they say it.)Kohli then signed off with a line that quickly won over fans:“Bas bat aur tum… Ek Bihari, sab pe bhari. Khatam game.”(Just you and your bat. One Bihari is enough to outshine everyone. Game over.)
IPL 2026: Veteran vs Prodigy
Virat Kohli (37) guided RCB to the IPL 2026 title, scoring 675 runs at a career-best 165.84 strike rate and finishing the final with a match-winning unbeaten 75*.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15) enjoyed a record-breaking season for RR, amassing 776 runs, winning the Orange Cap and MVP, while striking at an astonishing 237.30.