He may be a beast on the field, stamping his authority well beyond his years, but off it, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains a 15-year-old in his own bubble of innocence. A glimpse of that was seen in a clip shared by Rajasthan Royals on social media on Monday.
Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi celebrates after reaching his century (REUTERS)
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In the clip, two children approached Sooryavanshi as the Rajasthan Royals players waited at the airport to travel to Chandigarh for their next IPL 2026 game against the Punjab Kings, scheduled for April 28.
One of the kids asked Sooryavanshi to pose for a picture with him. The RR batter did not turn him down, but said that he does not pose for free. “Brother, I take money. I’m telling you honestly right now, brother. I’ll take ₹100,” Sooryavanshi is heard saying in the video as the two fans were left shell-shocked.
The other fan soon returned with INR 200 and offered to have Sooryavanshi pose with both the kids. But the youngster finally broke character to tell them he was only doing a prank and quickly pointed towards the camera. He eventually posed for a few photographs with the two kids.
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The other fan soon returned with INR 200 and offered to have Sooryavanshi pose with both the kids. But the youngster finally broke character to tell them he was only doing a prank and quickly pointed towards the camera. He eventually posed for a few photographs with the two kids.
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A season to remember for Sooryavanshi
The Rajasthan Royals sensation has been having an IPL season to remember, which included his second career ton in the tournament. The 36-ball century, the third-fastest in the history of the competition, came against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier last month in Jaipur, the same venue where he had scored his maiden hundred last year against the Gujarat Titans. That was a 35-ball knock.
The knock was praised by Australia's Pat Cummins, who had returned to action in that IPL game against the Royals.
“I think he’s my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it’s great to watch. It’s good fun,” Cummins said.
“You have to be right on the money as a bowler. If you are not, it’s going a long way. It’s impressive. He has had a great start to his career, and yeah, I like the way he plays. Takes the game on.”
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Overall, he has scored 357 runs this season in eight matches, at an average of 44.63 and a strike rate of 234.87. He has also struck 31 boundaries and 32 sixes. The tally also comprises two half-century knocks.
Sooryavanshi stands second in the Orange Cap list, behind SRH opener Abhishek Sharma, who has 380 runs in eight innings this season, laced with a century and three fifties.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/‘I’ll charge 100 rupees’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s demand in jest leaves young fans shellshocked
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