Vihaan Malhotra was not quite pinching himself after Punjab’s Ranji Trophy match against Assam on Wednesday in New Chandigarh, but he could not wrap his head around how 2026 has been transpiring for him.
“Aisi aisi cheezein toh sochi bhi nahi thi kabhi (I had never thought of such accomplishments). You obviously aspire to achieve these things. But for all of it to happen at once, within the span of a year, is no less than a dream. It’s a great achievement for me,” Vihaan tells Sportstar.
The most recent feat that left the 19-year-old at a loss for words was slamming a century on First-Class debut. Vihaan, yet to taste life in the Under-23 circuit, looked cut out for senior cricket during his flawless 103 while opening the innings.
No less are his other achievements earlier this year. Vihaan, who hails from Patiala, was part of India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup squad, where he scored 246 runs, including a century against Zimbabwe. Most people miss out, but Vihaan quickly reminds, “ Bangladesh ke against chaar wicket bhi liye the”. It was a performance that won him Player of the Match.
Then came an IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a franchise which had already noticed Vihaan’s credentials before the ICC Under-19 World Cup. He had manifested playing with Virat Kohli, and obviously he was not in the playing XI, but he had enough proximity to pick his idol’s brains.
The biggest takeaway from two months in the company of some of the biggest names in world cricket, was the need to constantly upgrade himself and make his chances count.
“I spoke with him [Kohli] and tried to collect tips mainly about my T20 game, the factors that can make me a more explosive batter. My queries were mainly around areas where I feel I need improvement. I also spoke a lot with Dinesh [Karthik] sir; he told me to cash in on every opportunity. He told me that you might get a chance to play First-Class cricket soon and that you have to ensure you play a long innings,” Vihaan says.
Vihaan paid heed to Karthik’s advice. On Day three, chasing 373 runs from Assam, Vihaan consumed 208 balls to negotiate with early movement, navigate the tricky and dull phases, and set up a foundation that eventually helped Punjab secure three points.
His composed essay was even more impressive because it had no remnants of T20 explosiveness lingering around, despite Vihaan coming in on the back of T20 games in the Sher-e-Punjab.
“It was a true wicket; the ball was coming onto the bat. We expected the new ball to do something when we went in, and it did. But our communication was that we should take as much time as possible to get used to the new ball, the bowlers and the wicket.
“Everyone has their own set of preparations coming into the red-ball season. After Sher-e-Punjab and before coming here, I focused on volume, playing a lot of deliveries. But there’s no hard and fast way as such, I think everyone should follow their routine, what helps them. I usually do nets with bowlers and take throwdowns. I do that because I think it helps me get in the right mind frame for multi-days and I like it,” Vihaan says.
This is not the only trick up his sleeve. Touring England last year with the U-19 side, Vihaan smashed 120 runs off just 123 balls during the second Youth Test, teaming up with captain Ayush Mhatre to put on 133 runs for the second wicket.
He candidly admits he cannot match the devastation of U-19 teammate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but he can press upon the opposition bowlers if need be.
“Vaibhav toh fir exception ho gaya. Aap dekh hee rahe ho kya kar raha hai. He has been a great teammate but I think there can be room for a slightly different approach even when attacking. It depends on the situation too. If you are comfortable in stopping and playing out the time, then it’s okay. If you have difficulty in stopping and you have to take out runs then you play accordingly, it can come anytime, in days cricket or in one-days. It depends on the situation and the pitch,” Vihaan says.
It’s telling of his maturity that Vihaan is comfortable in his skin. Not straying from what suits him might be the ideal approach as he takes his first steps into senior cricket.
Punjab is likely to take in reinforcements ahead of its second game against Chhattisgarh. An inclusion for Prabhsimran Singh or Naman Dhir might push him out, but Vihaan will fall back on Karthik’s advice.
He will focus on making the most of whatever opportunity he gets, be it in the Ranji Trophy or the Col C.K. Nayudu Trophy that begins later in the year.
Published on Oct 15, 2026
