NEW DELHI: A funny moment between Riyan Parag and teenage Rajasthan Royals star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has gone viral on social media. In a video taken at an airport, paparazzi asked the two players for a photo together. Responding casually, Parag said, “(Hum nahi hai flim star.) We’re not film stars!” After hearing the comment, Vaibhav gave Parag an awkward and funny stare, which quickly became a talking point online.Watch:The viral clip arrived at a time when Rajasthan Royals secured a playoff spot in IPL 2026 after defeating Mumbai Indians by 30 runs. The team had faced criticism earlier in the season after losing several matches in the middle phase of the tournament, with many fans questioning Parag’s captaincy.Despite the criticism, Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara strongly defended Parag’s leadership. He said, “When we decided to offer Riyan the captaincy, he is the absolute right guy to lead this franchise.” Sangakkara praised Parag’s confidence, maturity, and the respect he has earned inside the dressing room. He also spoke about the trolling Parag has faced over the years, saying, “I think I’ve seen very few players who have been criticised like Riyan has for about seven years now.” Sangakkara added that Parag is misunderstood publicly and described him as “a lovely, soft, gentle, really determined, smart young man.”Meanwhile, 15-year-old Vaibhav continues to impress with a record-breaking season. Speaking on Kevin Pietersen’s YouTube show, the young batter revealed his huge ambitions. “I want to score 200 in T20s. I want to break Gayle’s record,” he said, referring to Chris Gayle’s famous unbeaten 175 in IPL history.Vaibhav has already scored over 580 runs this season with an explosive strike rate, becoming one of IPL 2026’s breakout stars.
