A photo reportedly showing former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in front of Virat Kohli’s portrait at Lord’s cricket stadium in England has gone viral on social media.
Those sharing wrote, "Sachin Tendulkar taking a picture with Virat Kohli’s photo at Lord’s." (sic.)
What we found: We started by running a relevant keyword search to find if Kohli had a portrait at Lords, which failed to provide any reliable information supporting the viral claim.
Upon closely examining the viral image, we observed that the frame of the portrait appeared different. We also saw that the word displayed on Kohli's jersey didn't make sense, indicating possible manipulation.
We, then, performed a Google reverse image search on the viral image, directing us to a post by Tendulkar on X, dated 10 July.
It featured an image similar to the viral image.
It noted, "I first visited Lord’s as a teenager in 1988, and returned in 1989 with the Star Cricket Club team. I remember standing near the pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly. Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that’s hard to put into words. Life has truly come full circle. I’m grateful, and filled with wonderful memories." (sic.)
Below is a comparison between the two visuals. The cricketer was in the same outfit as the viral image and the background was also the same.
Tendulkar’s portrait was unveiled at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord’s on 10 July, prior to the beginning of the third test match between India and England, reported The Hindu.
Artist Stuart Pearson Wright made the painting from a photograph that the artist captured at the cricket legend’s residence 18 years back.
The portrait is set to be exhibited at MCC Museum until the end of this year and will subsequently move to the Pavilion.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s official X account shared images from the unveiling of Tendulkar’s portrait. These visuals also featured the same image resembling the viral image.
We did not find any reliable report regarding Kohli's portrait in the museum.
Tendulkar is the fifth Indian cricketer whose painting is exhibited at the MCC Museum. It additionally contains the portraits of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Dilip Vengsarkar, reported the Mint.
Conclusion: An edited image has gone viral to falsely claim that Tendulkar posed in front of Kohli's portrait at Lord's.
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