Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
When Sachin Tendulkar came to congratulate Maxwell on the ground, Glenn Maxwell bowed down and touched the feet of the legend Sachin Tendulkar and asked for his blessings.
Fact
The viral picture is edited and the claim is false.
A viral photo featuring cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Australian player Glenn Maxwell is circulating on social media during the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The image depicts Maxwell kneeling before Tendulkar, seemingly touching his feet. Social media users are sharing the photo with the assertion that Maxwell paid his respects to the cricket legend after scoring a 201-run innings against Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium on November 7. Many X users have shared the posts in various languages with the same claim, with of those can be seen here. | Archived Post
This image has also been posted by many users on X. Some of those can be viewed by clicking here, here and here.
Several YouTube channels have also posted videos of the incident and the photo. Some of the videos posted on YouTube with the same claim can be viewed by clicking here, here and here.
Fact Check / Verification
To verify the authenticity of the viral photo, we conducted a Google and Yandex reverse image search. The search took us to another image of Sachin Tendulkar, originally published by GettyImages, where he is seen shaking hands with an Afghan cricketer.
The caption reads, “Australia & Afghanistan Net Sessions – ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023 | MUMBAI, INDIA – NOVEMBER 06: Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar speaks to members of the Afghanistan cricket team prior to the Afghanistan training session at Wankhede Stadium on November 06, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)”. The viral photo exhibits a striking resemblance to the image we found on Getty Images, starting with the clothes worn by Sachin to the position of the hands and the expression on the face.
On more research, we found that Sachin Tendulkar was reportedly present at the Wankhede Stadium’s ground on November 6, not on the match day, which was November 7. This detail is also corroborated by information available on the Getty Images website. Subsequently, a relevant keyword search on Google led us to a video on the ESPNcricinfo website. In this video, Sachin Tendulkar can be seen interacting with the Afghanistan team, wearing the same attire as in the viral image.
A tweet on the ICC’s X handle, published on November 6, where the cricketer is seen in similar attire, reads “Sachin Tendulkar pays the Afghanistan camp a visit.”
Probing further, we visited the ICC’s official website and found a footage of the match between Australia and Afghanistan. Maxwell is seen removing his helmet at 46.4 overs after which the Australian batsman does not don his helmet again until the Kangaroos triumph against Afghanistan. Whereas, Maxwell is seen sporting a helmet in the viral image. Thus, it can be concluded that, Maxwell’s image, where he is seen wearing the helmet and bowing down, was not clicked not post-match.
Conclusion
Based on our investigation, the viral image of Glenn Maxwell touching SachinTendulkar’s feet, was created by editing together two different images and hence, the viral claim is false.
Result: Altered Image
Our Sources:
1. Image published by GettyImages, dated November 6, 2023.
2. X post by ICC, dated November 6, 2023.
3. ICC’s Official Website
4. Report published by ESPN CricInfo, dated November 7, 2023.
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
