Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may look like a man built for the big stage once he steps onto the field, but away from the spotlight he still carries the mindset of a 15-year-old—at least in the way he handles the moments that come his way. That softer side was on display in a clip shared by the Rajasthan Royals on Monday, offering a glimpse of how the young batter reacts when fans approach him during the busy travel grind.
In the video, two children move toward Sooryavanshi while the Rajasthan Royals squad is waiting at an airport, with their next IPL 2026 assignment lined up in Chandigarh. Their match against the Punjab Kings is set for April 28, and the scene turns playful as the youngsters close in. One of the kids asks the batter to pose for a photo, and Sooryavanshi, instead of simply agreeing, jokes in a way that quickly turns the moment into a surprise for everyone watching.
Rather than giving a straightforward yes, the Rajasthan batter says he doesn’t do pictures for free. “Brother, I take money. I’m telling you honestly right now, brother. I’ll take ₹100,” Sooryavanshi is heard saying, leaving the two children visibly stunned. The fan then returns almost immediately with an INR 200 offer and asks him to pose for pictures with both kids. But the youngster eventually drops the act and clarifies that it was all part of a prank, pointing toward the camera to make it clear the deal was never real. After that, he agrees for a few photographs with the children, ending the interaction on a cheerful note.
That light-hearted moment sits alongside what has been an eye-catching season for Sooryavanshi on the cricket field. He has already produced a memorable run in the tournament, including his second hundred of the IPL campaign. His latest landmark score arrived earlier this month in Jaipur against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he struck a 36-ball century—recorded as the third-fastest ton in the history of the league. The venue also carries an extra layer of meaning for him, because it was there last year that he made his debut hundred, posting a maiden ton against the Gujarat Titans, a knock of 35 balls.
Sooryavanshi’s destructive batting has drawn praise from prominent names, including Australia captain Pat Cummins. Cummins, who had returned to action in the same IPL match against the Royals, spoke about how entertaining the youngster has been to watch. “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. He also highlighted the precision required to succeed at the top level. “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.”
With the bat this season, Sooryavanshi has amassed 357 runs across eight matches. His numbers read 44.63 as his batting average and 234.87 as his strike rate, backed by 31 boundaries and 32 sixes. The output also includes two half-century innings, underlining that his big scores have come alongside consistent contributions rather than isolated bursts.
In the Orange Cap race, Sooryavanshi currently sits second. He is placed behind Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma, who has 380 runs in eight innings so far this season, including one century and three fifties.
