Sudarsan Pattnaik Pays Tribute To Vaibhav Sooryavanshi With Sand Art At Puri Beach

Bhubaneswar: Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid tribute to young cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi by creating a striking sand sculpture at Puri Beach in Odisha.

The artwork features a giant portrait of the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter in his team jersey along with the message, “A truly Historic and Inspiring knock! Congratulations Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.”

Sharing the sand art on social media, Pattnaik praised the teenager’s fearless approach to the game. “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,” he wrote.

The tribute comes after Sooryavanshi’s explosive innings in the IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The young opener smashed 97 runs off just 29 balls, narrowly missing what could have been the fastest century in IPL history, and played a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals’ victory.

Hailing from Bihar, Sooryavanshi has rapidly emerged as one of the brightest young stars in Indian cricket. He became the youngest player to debut in the IPL at the age of 14 years and 23 days.

The left-handed batter is also the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket after scoring a blistering 101 off 38 balls during IPL 2025. He currently holds the record for the second-fastest century in IPL history and has broken several batting milestones, including Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season.

With his fearless batting and record-breaking performances, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to capture the attention of cricket fans across the world.