An image purportedly showing MS Dhoni presenting the Player of the Series award to Virat Kohli after the final ODI has gone viral on social media. The picture claims to capture a special post-match moment between the two cricketers.
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile verified the claim and found the image to be AI-generated.
A Reverse Image Search of the viral photograph traces another post featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal with MS Dhoni. The striking resemblance between Dhoni in that image and Dhoni seen in the viral photo, with every detail matching immediately, raises doubts about the authenticity of the viral claim.
Searching for Dhoni, Kohli and the Player of the Series award, we found no credible news reports, BCCI updates, or official statements suggesting that Dhoni presented the award to Kohli at the final ODI.
The National Herald and Jansatta, however, have carried the original photograph of Kohli receiving the Player of the Series award. Even the trophies visible in the original are entirely different from those shown in the viral picture.
Finally, we ran the viral images through Hive Moderation, an AI content analysis tool, and found both photos to be AI-generated.
Therefore, it is confirmed that the viral image showing Dhoni presenting the Player of the Series award to Virat after the final ODI is doctored.
