The story of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was supposed to be the fairy tale of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. When the 15-year-old Bihar prodigy took the field, he wasn’t just playing against world-class bowlers; he was playing against the very concept of time. However, the wonder surrounding the youngest player in league history has now soured into a legal and ethical storm. Some people started wondering if it goes against the labor laws in India, talking about his age verification and the corporate responsibility of the Rajasthan Royals and the BCCI.
Can Rajasthan Royals Face Legal Trouble For Playing 15-Year-Old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026?
The controversy regarding that has now reached its peak ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs when social media activists CM Shivakumar Nayak publicly demanded the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the Rajasthan Royals management. The Karnataka-based social activist argues that fielding a 15-year-old in a high-stakes, commercial league like the IPL is a violation of child labor 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,” said Nayak as quoted by the Republic World.
“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.”
Sooryavanshi has been utilized primarily as an “Impact Player,” and the numbers he has produced are staggering for a minor. In just 9 innings, he has amassed 412 runs at the strike rate of 164.50. His season includes 3 half-centuries and a record-breaking 82 off 38 balls against Mumbai Indians.
What India’s Child Labour Law Says About Teen Cricketers Playing Professional Sports?
Under Indian law, adolescents (14–18) are permitted to work in “sports activities,” but only under strict conditions. Section 7 of the Act mandates that no adolescent can be permitted to work for more than 6 hours a day and must have a break after 3 hours.
Activists argue that a typical IPL match day, which involves a 4-hour game and 3 to 4 hours of pre-match training and travel, exceeds these limits. Furthermore, the law requires that such work must not interfere with education. The fact that Suryavanshi missed his 10th-grade examinations in April 2026 has become a central pillar of the legal outcry.
India’s labour laws also ensure that at least 20% of the income (some rules specify 50% of the earnings) must be deposited in a fixed deposit account in a nationalized bank, accessible only when the child turns 18.
