Paparazzi asks Riyan Parag for a picture with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi; Rajasthan Royals captain comes with hilarious reply

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is a calm customer on the field, marshalling his troops in the best possible way, but off the field, the Assamese cricketer is a pure entertainer. In a video, that went viral, Parag's witty response took the social media by storm. The incident took place a day after Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium to enter the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs,

With Rajasthan Royals to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator in Mullanpur, the Parag-led side left Mumbai on Monday. The paparazzi at the Mumbai airport asked Parag to stand alongside Vaivbhav Sooryavanshi for a photo opportunity. Sooryavanshi was standing nearby along with a member of Rajasthan Royals photography team.

"Riyan brother, please stand alongside Vaibhav. Together, together," a voice from the paparazzi told Parag. In reply, the Rajasthan Royals skipper said, “Hum nahi hai film star (Brother, I am not a film star)” and walked towards the security check-in. Not only Parag's reply left the paparazzi disappointed, but it also made Sooryavanshi dumbstruck.

On a serious note, Parag has handled 15-year-old Sooryavanshi well in IPL 2026. The Rajasthan Royals opener has been in tremendous form in IPL 2026 and is the top run-getter of the franchise with 583 runs from 14 games. If all goes well, the teenage sensation could cross the 600-run mark.

Rajasthan Royals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad

Having taken the final Playoffs spot after beating Mumbai Indians on the last day of the group stage, Rajasthan Royals will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on May 27 at the new PCA Stadium in Chandigarh. Both teams will be aiming for their second IPL titles. While Rajasthan Royals lifted the coveted trophy in 2008, Sunrisers Hyderabad were successful in 2016.

In fact, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have a chance to recreate their 2016 magic this year. No team except Sunrisers Hyderabad have won the IPL after finishing third in the standings following the group stage. However, stats are in favour of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have won both the games against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.

On the other hand, Sooryavanshi's only hundred in IPL 2026 has come against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Overall, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have faced each other 23 times in the IPL with the latter leading the head-to-head stats 14-9.

Riyan Parag and Co. can take heart from the fact that they have won all of their three outings at the venue, including a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings earlier this season. A win in the match will see Rajasthan Royals stay back in New Chandigarh for the Qualifier 2 at the same venue on Friday. The IPL 2026 final is scheduled on Sunday in Ahmedabad.

Catch the live updates from IPL 2026 with the complete IPL 2026 Schedule and the IPL 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts in IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap.