ENG vs IND [Fact check]: Did KL Rahul consolation an emotional Karun Nair after Manchester Take a look at omission?

Karun Nair‘s comeback to India’s Take a look at staff throughout the 2025 England tour was met with a lot pleasure and hope. After eight years away from worldwide cricket, many followers anticipated a narrative of redemption. Sadly, the narrative shifted when Nair, after a sequence of underwhelming performances, was dropped for the fourth Take a look at at Manchester. Quickly, a photograph surfaced on-line—allegedly displaying a heartbroken Nair being comforted by KL Rahul after his omission—igniting a storm of hypothesis. However how true is that this viral story?

Karun Nair’s struggles on the sphere gas emotional tales

The frustration surrounding  Nair’s transient second stint on the highest stage was palpable amongst followers and pundits alike. Given six innings to re-establish himself, Nair managed solely 131 runs at a mean of 21.83, with a highest rating of 40. Following this disappointing return, the selectors changed him with B Sai Sudharsan for the pivotal fourth Take a look at.

The emotional undercurrents in each media narratives and fan discussions mirrored the extraordinary pressures and heartbreaks that usually accompany choice and exclusion in elite sports activities. Whereas it’s totally believable that Nair skilled deep frustration and soul-searching, claims of public shows of tears within the Manchester dressing room are usually not supported by credible proof. Hypothesis in sports activities, particularly after robust losses, generally morphs into rumors that tackle a lifetime of their very own.

Additionally WATCH: KL Rahul grabs a pointy catch to dismiss Ollie Pope on Day 3 of the fourth Take a look at

The viral picture of KL Rahul and Nair: An outdated story in a brand new setting

The evocative picture sweeping social media of an allegedly tearful Nair being consoled by Rahul, stated to be taken after the Manchester snub, is factually deceptive. An in depth truth examine uncovers that the {photograph} in query really dates again to the sooner Lord’s Take a look at.

Key background particulars, reminiscent of the long-lasting white balcony at Lord’s, reveal the true setting of the picture. Importantly, there is no such thing as a proof within the picture of Nair crying; as an alternative, the scene has been taken out of context and given a brand new, false narrative. Thus, the viral story of Rahul consoling Nair after Manchester is totally unfounded—one other instance of how photographs might be repurposed to gas misinformation in sports activities discourse.

Additionally READ: ENG vs IND: Followers go wild as Joe Root slams thirty eighth century on Day 3 of Manchester Take a look at