A photo allegedly depicting Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer smiling and posing on a hospital bed has circulated widely on social media, with many users connecting it to his recent hospitalisation after an injury sustained during the India–Australia match in Sydney.
What we found: At first, we ran a Google reverse image on the image which led us to a report by the Hindustan Times from April 2021. It featured the same image as the viral photo.
The report noted that Iyer shared an update about his shoulder injury which he sustained during the then India-England One Day International series.
We, then ran a relevant keyword search and found a post by Iyer on his official X page where he shared the same image. This post was shared on 8 April 2021.
He wrote, "Surgery was a success and with lion-hearted determination, I’ll be back in no time Thank you for your wishes." (sic.)
Iyer's recent injury: Iyer suffered a spleen laceration with internal bleeding after a fielding injury during the third ODI against Australia on 25 October. He underwent a minor procedure, is stable and recovering well in Sydney under medical supervision.
Conclusion: The viral image is four years old and not a recent image of Iyer's who suffered an injury in Australia.
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