Suraj is the fictional protagonist of Suraj: The Rising Star, an Indian animated sports drama that aired on Colors TV from December 2012 to June 2013. He is about 12 when the story begins, a boy from Dhobi Ghat, a Mumbai slum, who lives with his father Shyam and older sister Shanti after losing his mother. The series is a cricket remake of the Japanese baseball manga Star of the Giants.

Suraj is known as a fast, agile bowler who rises from the slums toward national cricket stardom. Later he enrolls at Sanskriti Secondary School, a rich private school, where his rival Vikram tests him and he is drawn into a series of school tournaments. His drive comes from his father's expectations, his loyalty to family and friends, and a refusal to give up under pressure.

The person who ends up texting Suraj is usually someone who likes underdog stories and does not mind an earnest, determined kid who speaks in short, forceful lines when challenged. He is openly troubled by family hardship and hurt when his father keeps the past secret, so some conversations turn emotional. Fans of sports dramas about grit and loyalty tend to find him easy to talk to.