Vihaan Malhotra smacks century in U19 World Cup: Who is he? Know all about the RCB prodigy
Vihaan Malhotra, a 19-year-old RCB signee, shone in the U19 World Cup 2026, scoring an unbeaten 109 vs Zimbabwe. Born in Patiala, he excelled in India U19 and idolises Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. He was bought by RCB for INR 30 lakhs.
Vihaan Malhotra delivered a standout performance in the U19 World Cup 2026 match against Zimbabwe, remaining unbeaten on 109 from 107 balls at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Led by Ayush Mhatre, India made a solid start after opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again laid a strong platform with a half-century.
Following Suryavanshi’s dismissal, Malhotra took control of the innings and went on to register his first century of the tournament. Rather than relying heavily on big shots, he built his knock through smart strike rotation, finding the boundary seven times without clearing the ropes.
Malhotra received valuable support from keeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu, who contributed 61 runs, while spinner Khilan Patel added late momentum with a rapid 30 off just 12 deliveries. Their combined efforts helped India amass a formidable total of 352 runs in the first innings.
Vihaan Malhotra's?
Malhotra was born on January 1, 2007, in Patiala. After graduating from school, the youngster enrolled at Chitkara University, where he pursued a BBA degree. He joined the university as it also supports his cricketing career. In 2025, travelled with the India U19 squad to England, where the 19-year-old emerged as the leading run-scorer. Given that he is a handy bowler as well, Vihaan soon established his position in the team.
Recently, in the clash against Bangladesh in the U19 World Cup, Vihaan produced a stunning performance with the ball, getting the job done for India. Bangladesh, at one point, seemed to be running away with the game, but Vihaan produced magic, claiming four wickets to win the game.
On the other hand, shortly before the U19 World Cup, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) signed the youngster for the forthcoming edition of the IPL. He was signed for INR 30 lakhs. He has been trained by VVS Laxman and the youngster considers Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill as his idols.