Fact Check: Viral photo of statue at Wankhede Stadium is Sachin Tendulkar, not Steve Smith
The picture shows former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s statue at Wankhede Stadium and not that of Steve Smith.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 3 Nov 2023 11:09 AM GMT
Screengrab of the post. (Source: Facebook)
Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing cricket ICC World Cup 2023, social media users are sharing a picture of a statue they claim belongs to Australian cricketer Steve Smith at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
A Facebook page, Australian Cricket Fans, shared the picture with the caption, “A statue of Steve Smith has been installed at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. It was unveiled by the great Sachin Tendulkar himself yesterday. Lovely!! (sic)”
Several X users have also shared the image claiming the same. Click here, here and here to view the posts.
Fact Check
NewsMeter verified that the picture shows former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s statue at Wankhede Stadium and not that of Steve Smith. Tendulkar himself unveiled the statue at Wankhede on November 1 this year.
We ran a relevant keyword search and found four photos, including the viral one, posted by the official X handle of ICC on November 1. “Sachin Tendulkar inaugurates his statue at the Wankhede Stadium!” read the post’s caption.
We also found a post by the BCCI honouring the veteran cricketer on November 1. We also found a video on BCCI’s website, which shows Sachin Tendulkar unveiling his statue at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Sachin Tendulkar also posted a heartfelt note expressing his gratitude for the installation of his statue. He wrote, “This statue isn’t just mine. It is a dedication to every non-striker, my cricket heroes, every teammate, every colleague, who stood by my side, for without them, this journey wouldn’t have been possible.”
Hence, we conclude that Tendulkar’s statue was installed inside the Wankhede stadium, not Steve Smith’s.
