Rajasthan Royals Face Child Labour Allegations Over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

IPL 2026 star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has landed in controversy after a social activist alleged child labour and threatened legal action against Rajasthan Royals over the 15-year-old’s participation.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has found himself at the center of another controversy during IPL 2026 after a Karnataka-based social activist raised objections over his participation in the tournament.

Social activist CM Shivakumar Nayak threatened legal action against Rajasthan Royals, claiming the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s involvement in the IPL amounted to child labour. During a debate on a Kannada news channel, Nayak argued that Sooryavanshi should focus on education instead of playing professional cricket at such a young age.

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He also claimed the youngster’s participation could create unhealthy pressure on other children aiming to enter professional sport early. Nayak said he planned to file a police complaint and pursue legal proceedings against the franchise for allegedly violating child rights laws.

“This 15-year-old boy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from Rajasthan Royals is being exploited. He is just a child, only 15 years old, and they have brought him into the IPL to play professional cricket. This is nothing but child labour. How can they make a minor boy play in such a big league like this? He should be focusing on his studies, going to school and completing his education instead of playing cricket at this tender age,” said Nayak as quoted by the Republic World.

“I strongly condemn this and I will be filing a police complaint or legal case against the Rajasthan Royals management for violating child rights and child labour laws. Don’t let this boy play IPL cricket, it’s child labour, he should study,” he added.

404 Runs Put Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Among Top Scorers

Sooryavanshi has already attracted headlines this season over multiple off-field debates, including allegations questioning his professionalism and unusual claims involving AI-enabled technology in his bat. The youngster from Samastipur earned an IPL contract in the 2025 auction for ₹1.10 crore at the age of 13, becoming the youngest player ever signed by a franchise.

He made his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19, 2025, at 14 years and 23 days, creating another tournament record as the youngest debutant. RR retained him ahead of IPL 2026, while the BCCI’s new payment structure now gives him ₹7.5 lakh per match.

The teenager has impressed with the bat this season, scoring 404 runs at an average of 40.40 and a strike rate of 237.65. He currently ranks fourth among run-scorers in IPL 2026.

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