Overview
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru bought the 19-year-old for Rs 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction, placing him alongside Virat Kohli.
- His unbeaten century against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo launched India's Super Sixes campaign and made him the team's only centurion so far in the tournament.
- Earlier World Cup outings included four wickets and two eye-catching catches, highlighting a flexible mix of batting, off-spin and fielding.
- Malhotra honed his game at Cricket Hub Academy in Patiala under Kamal Sandhu and later worked with former U19 World Cup winner Ravneet Ricky.
- He tallied 277 runs in two Youth Tests and 243 in five Youth ODIs in 2025, and his coaches have scheduled IPL-focused drills after his U19 commitments.