Bhubaneswar: Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has paid a heartfelt tribute to young cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi by creating a spectacular sand art on Puri Beach.
The artwork features a large and striking portrait of the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter, shown in his team jersey, along with a celebratory message that reads, “A truly Historic and Inspiring knock! Congratulations Vaibhav Sooryavanshi”.
Pattnaik shared the image on social media and wrote, “A truly historic and inspiring knock by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. My sand art at Puri Beach in Odisha celebrates the young sensation who is redefining fearless cricket for a new generation.”
The special tribute comes in recognition of Sooryavanshi’s explosive performance in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The teenage opener smashed a breathtaking 97 runs off just 29 balls, coming very close to scoring the fastest century in IPL history and playing a pivotal role in Rajasthan Royals’ victory.
Hailing from Bihar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already broken several records in his brief but remarkable career. He became the youngest player to debut in the IPL at the age of 14 years and 23 days. He is also the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket, having scored 101 runs off just 38 balls in IPL 2025.
The young left-hander holds the record for the second-fastest century in IPL history, has broken several batting records including Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season, and continues to set new milestones as one of the brightest young talents in world cricket.
