It was a dream come true for 20-year-old Rahul Pareek on Sunday morning. The aspiring artist got to meet Indian skipper Virat Kohli at the hotel where the cricket team is staying with a special gift for the star player.

Rahul made a portrait of Kohli with discarded mobile handsets and wires.

“I am into painting since my childhood. It is a passion. Today, I was excited to have met Virat Sir and showed him the portrait. He quite liked it, which is very encouraging for me. It was a huge experience for me to meet him,” Rahul told The Telegraph after meeting Kohli.

The BCCI tweeted the video of Rahul meeting Kohli and showing him the portrait. It was shared and liked by many, immediately making Rahul a hero within a few hours. “I actually wanted to gift him the portrait, but he told me that he could not carry it as he will be travelling. Instead he autographed it. I am happy and it is now a treasure,” Rahul said.

Rahul had earlier presented such portraits to several celebrities including captain of India women’s cricket team Mithali Raj when she was in Guwahati last year and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, among others.

But to get to Kohli was a different experience. “This time it was much more difficult to meet Virat Sir due to heavy security arrangements. But finally I managed to approach his manager and showed him the video of my artwork. And the Indian skipper agreed to meet me,” Rahul added.

This type of unique artwork has already got Rahul a berth in the India Book of Records. He is now aiming to get a place in Guinness World Records.

Rahul, a student of KC Das Commerce College here, is from Dhubri district.