A childhood dream has turned into a real-life fairytale for young Indian cricketer Vihaan Malhotra, who is currently playing in the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe. When Vihaan Malhotra was just nine years old, he joined Cricket Hub Academy in Patiala.
IPL 2026 makes the dream come true for Vihaan Malhotra
On his very first days, the young cricketer told his coach that Vihaan Malhotra wanted to become like Virat Kohli one day and also wanted to play cricket with the Indian cricket superstar. At that age, Vihaan himself did not know that these words would one day turn into reality.
Now, Vihaan is 19 years old, and his dream has come true in the biggest way possible. He has been snapped up by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2026. He was bought for ₹30 lakh in the IPL 2026 Auction, helping him to realize his dream this summer.
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The India Under-19 star will now share the same dressing room, ground, dugout, and even bat alongside Virat Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). His coach at the Cricket Hub Academy revealed that Vihaan was a big fan of Kohli from childhood.
A true Virat Kohli fan since childhood
Vihaan Malhotra used to watch the former Indian captain’s batting videos multiple times. He loved Kohli’s shots, especially the cover drive, and tried to copy them in practice. Vihaan also followed Virat’s fitness style very seriously and always wanted to learn everything he could from the Indian legend.
Kamal Sandhu was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “Kya pata tha woh bolega yeh aur yeh ek din sach ho jaayega. I am really happy for him. Virat ki videos dekhta tha—uske shots, especially cover drives, isko achhe lagte the. He is also a fitness freak. He always admired Virat and tried to take everything from that legend’s book. Playing at RCB will give him a lot of learnings. He is happy—really happy.”
RCB stint set to transform Vihaan Malhotra
Another coach, Ravneet Ricky, feels the IPL 2026 stint with the RCB will help Vihaan grow even more as a cricketer. He said, “I am really happy for him that he is going to share the dressing room with a legend like Virat Kohli this year at RCB.
After the IPL, a more refined Vihaan will come through. He will have a different approach and mindset after talking to and spending time with Virat. Virat and I have played together a couple of times.”
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Strong performances and a big future ahead
The year 2025 was very special for Vihaan’s career. He scored 277 runs in just two Youth Test matches, which included a top score of 120 runs.
After that, he played five Youth ODI matches and scored 243 runs, including a century, and he continued his stunning form in the ongoing event.
Currently, Vihaan is India’s only player to score a century so far in the ongoing ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026. He also scalped four wickets and took two remarkable catches in the tournament.
The Patiala student will resume his training at his academy for the IPL 2026 after India Under-19 duty. The coach signed off by saying, “There are a lot of plans for IPL preparation. Let him come back—we will start those drills too.”