Sachin Tendulkar's Statue Was Installed at Wankhede Stadium, Not Steve Smith's

Sachin Tendulkar inaugurated his statute at the Wakhede Stadium on 1 November ahead of India and Sri Lanka's match.

Fact-Check: Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's statue has been instituted at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

(Source: Altered by The Quint)

Amid the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, social media users have shared a photo, claiming that cricketer and former Australian captain Steve Smith's statue had been put up at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

This post recorded 66,000 views at the time of writing this story. (Archives of similar claims can be found here, here and here.)

Is it true?: No, the claim is false. The viral posts show former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's statue at Wankede Stadium and not that of Steve Smith.

• Tendulkar unveiled his statue on Wednesday, 1 November, a day before the match between India and Sri Lanka in Wankhede.

How did we find out?: With a relevant keyword search on X, we came across posts by official accounts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ICC.

• The ICC posted, on 1 November, a set of four photos, including the viral image.

• It was uploaded with the caption that read, "Unveiled, Sachin Tendulkar inaugurates his statue at the Wankhede Stadium!"

• The BCCI also posted the images with a caption honouring the cricketer on 1 November.

• A video of BCCI's website shows the moment Sachin Tendulkar unveiled his statue at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

• Apart from these, Sachin Tendulkar took to his X account and posted a heartfelt note expressing his gratitude towards for installing his statue. He wrote, "Wankhede and cricket, you've been very kind."

• Swipe right to see some pictures from 1 November when former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's statue was unveiled at the Wakhede Stadium.

These pictures show the glorious ceremony of the unveiling of the statue. 

These pictures show the glorious ceremony of the unveiling of the statue. 

These pictures show the glorious ceremony of the unveiling of the statue. 

• Several news organisations, such as India Today and the Hindustan Times reported on the occasion.

Conclusion: It is clear that it is not Tendulkar's statue was installed inside Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and not Smith's.

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