Virat Kohli’s post-Match gesture for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is going viral. The 15 year old opening batter for the Rajasthan Royals has claimed the Orange Cap after his 78 run blitz against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium on Friday. The young cricketer from Samastipur, Bihar, exhibited no nerves as Rajasthan pursued a target of 202, maintaining his usual approach without hesitation.
While many expected him to be cautious against the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, Sooryavanshi refused to alter his game plan. He attacked the duo during the powerplay, leaving the two seasoned professionals searching for answers. Rather than being overawed by their reputations, it was the teenager who dictated the terms of the engagement.
Virat Kohli, the talisman for RCB, witnessed this destruction firsthand. It was little surprise to see the former Indian captain offering words of encouragement to the youngster. Following the conclusion of the match between Rajasthan and RCB, Sooryavanshi sought out an autograph from the legend. The Indian great signed Sooryavanshi’s Rajasthan Royals cap and included a brief personal message for the teenager after his dominant performance.
“Dear Vaibhav, well done,” Kohli wrote for Sooryavanshi.
Player of the Match
Orange Cap
An autograph from KohliGood night to everyone and remember to keep believing in yourself no matter what pic.twitter.com/Up2BZuYObM
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 10, 2026
Although many believed Rajasthan would face a difficult task chasing 202, Sooryavanshi’s initial onslaught completely derailed RCB’s momentum. The side led by Riyan Parag secured a comprehensive six wicket victory with 12 balls remaining, marking their fourth win in a row. This result further consolidated the Royals’ position at the summit of the IPL 2026 standings.
Orange Cap Holder
Through his performance against RCB, Sooryavanshi surpassed his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, to take possession of the Orange Cap. The left handed batter has now accumulated 200 runs across four matches, which includes two half centuries.
Both of his fifties, scored against Chennai Super Kings and RCB, were reached in just 15 deliveries. During the clash with the defending champions, Sooryavanshi shared a 108 run partnership off only 37 balls for the second wicket with Dhruv Jurel. Although Sooryavanshi eventually lost his wicket to Krunal Pandya, Jurel remained at the crease to finish unbeaten on 81 from 43 balls, ensuring an easy win for RR.
Earlier in the match, RCB reached a total of 201/8 in their 20 overs, largely due to a 63 run innings from captain Rajat Patidar. At one point, RCB was struggling at 125/7, but the team introduced Venkatesh Iyer as an impact sub. His unbeaten 29 off 15 balls helped RCB cross the 200 run threshold, though it ultimately proved insufficient to stop the Royals.
Vaibhav after the innings –
(Are you going to cut a cake tonight?) No, no sir, it’s not like that. Today we have to sleep a little early because we have to leave early tomorrow, we have an early flight, so we have to leave early. (on batting without fear) No sir, it’s not like that, I just try to do what I do in practice, do the same, don’t try anything extra and back my natural game. (on having no fear against Bumrah and Hazlewood) At the back of the mind it stays that who is bowling, but I was trying to play the ball, not look at the bowler, and play the ball according to what it is, play my game. (who all are guiding you right now?) Sir, papa is one and also my coaches, here my guardian is Romi sir. So all these people keep telling me that the journey is very long, this has just started, so you have to focus on your process and your work, you have to focus on the game without looking here and there. (on showing disappointment after getting out) Sir, if I stay on the wicket, then another 10-20 runs can be made, if we are chasing the target, then we can finish it two overs earlier, or if we set the target, then 10-20 runs can be made more. So I regret that if I am out by playing a loose shot, then the team is going minus, so I just get a little upset that I could have played longer.
