New Delhi: Star Indian cricketer KL Rahul made headlines on Thursday for all the wrong reasons. The flamboyant wicket-keeper batter found himself at the centre of speculations, notably after sharing a cryptic Instagram story that ignited a social media storm. The fans and the cricket world were left guessing if Rahul was about to hang his boots at just 32 as the comment sections of the post flooded with gossip.
Rahul, who featured for Team India in the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month, shared a brief yet intriguing message on his Instagram story. “I have an announcement to make, stay tuned.” These few words were enough as a spark for the social media which further turned it into a wildfire. Speculations including wild theories ran rife as fans went bonkers over the announcement Rahul was about to make, with most being sure about that being his retirement.
Instargram Stroy of KL Rahul
-He might comeback to RCB💗 pic.twitter.com/cfDxAXUljV
— Aditya 🍉 (@Aditya_Kohli_18) August 22, 2024
This wasn’t it as what followed next was something of other gravity. A fake screenshot started circulating online, seemingly from Rahul’s Instagram account which stated, “After much reflection and consideration, I have decided to announce my retirement from professional cricket. This decision has not been easy, as this sport has been a significant part of my life for many years.” While some thought that this was it, a few fans questioned the screenshot’s authenticity but the work was done till then, creating widespread panic among fans.
Is it true😮
Kl Rahul retiring from international cricket 😨😯 pic.twitter.com/sdWRChcdeo
— SatyaSanatan 🇮🇳🇮🇳 🕉️🕉️ (@SatyaSanatannnn) August 22, 2024
Has Rahul really retired from international cricket?
To sum it all up, “NO”. Rahul’s career is far from over as he continues to reach newer heights in the sport. And to address the speculative Instagram story that he had put up, Rahul posted two more stories after the “stay tuned” story – one for wishing her mother-in-law Mana Shetty a happy birthday and another a picture of himself in the silhouette for a brand called “Metaman”.
This makes it clear that the stay-tuned story was none other than a brand promotion – a tactic several sportspersons do while marketing a brand that they have been pulled in to endorse.
Rahul is still a crucial asset for the Indian cricket team, being a backup wicketkeeper batter who could fill in the top of the middle order any day and is also the captain of the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). There’s no official information from either the BCCI’s or Rahul’s part over his retirement and the news was just a hoax, a pure misconception based on a fake screenshot that could be easily generated through AI tools in the current scenario.
A screenshot, seemingly from KL Rahul’s Instagram account went viral on the social media, right after Rahul asked the fans to stay tuned for an announcement on Thursday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
