IPL 2026: Kohli Meets Kohli! Virat Kohli Meets 'Namesake' Ex Teammate Ahead Of Grand Finale. Photo Instagram- Screengrab
IPL 2026: Wednesday was a day of nostalgia and high emotions in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) camp as modern-day batting great Virat Kohli met his former India Under-19 teammate Taruwar Kohli. The emotional meeting came ahead of the much awaited IPL 2026 grand finale, adding a warm moment to a high-pressure week of tournament playoffs.
RCB talisman Taruwar who came to meet his young daughter shared a touching video on his official social media handle. The video showed Virat stepping out of the team bus, his face lighting up as he shared a warm hug with his former teammate, before spending some quality time chatting and laughing with Taruwar’s daughter.
Reflecting the mutual respect that has stood the test of time, Taruwar beautifully captioned the video:
“The world knows your records. I know your heart. Stay blessed, brother.”
The emotional reunion is an eye-opener on how the paths of athletes may diverge from the same starting point. Virat and Taruwar were two of the main members of the Indian squad that won the 2008 U19 World Cup in Malaysia under Virat’s leadership.
Taruwar was one of India’s best performers in that historic tournament, scoring 218 runs in six matches at an average of 43.6, including three half-centuries, holding the top order together.
Their careers took very different paths after that shared success. Virat became the undisputed face of world cricket, a modern day icon. Taruwar’s journey in the top-flight was different.
He represented Rajasthan Royals in the first season of the IPL in 2008 and also had a brief stint with Punjab Kings and played his last IPL match in 2009. He never quite got an elusive senior India cap but Taruwar built a very respectable and solid domestic career with Punjab, and later as a prolific professional veteran for Mizoram before officially retiring from all professional cricket in 2024.
This heartwarming off-the-field encounter comes on the back of RCB’s clinical on-field masterclass. The defending champions marched straight into another final on Tuesday night by hammering Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala.
RCB absolutely ran riot over the Titans, with a massive, playoff record total of 254/5. Skipper Rajat Patidar was the lone warrior as he played an absolute exhibition of power-hitting with a breathtaking unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls, a knock laced with 9 towering sixes.
In reply, Gujarat batting order was blown away by a collective bowling effort to be bundled out for 162. Reflecting on the dominant evolution of the franchise, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat said, “The biggest takeaway from the RCB’s dominant run over the last two seasons was the number of cricketers stepping up in pressure situations. With the final berth confirmed, Virat Kohli and his men are all set to grab back-to-back titles on the May 31.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
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