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| - Fact Check: Video of Virat Kohli batting left-handed for RCB isn't real
A video falsely claimed to show Virat Kohli batting left-handed in an RCB match.
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India Today Fact Check
The video is flipped to create an illusion. It is taken from RCB's game against CSK on May 4, 2022, in Pune. Virat Kohli played this shot against seamer Simarjeet Singh on the last ball of the fourth over.
With just two half-centuries and three golden ducks from 16 outings, the 15th edition of the IPL was not one of Virat Kohli's finest. The Royal Challengers Bangalore once again bowed out without winning the league with their former captain making 341 runs.
Now, a video of the star batter has gone viral on the internet in which he can be seen playing left-handed for RCB. In the video, a left-handed Virat can be seen playing a lofted shot over the covers to clear the boundary rope. One such video that is being shared as an Instagram reel can be seen below.
The India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the claim was misleading. This is the flipped version of Virat Kohli batting in Pune on May 4.
AFWA Probe
Can batters switch stance during a game?
When we ran a few searches on Google to find out if a batter is permitted to change stance during a match, it was found that Sunil Gavaskar batted left-handed during the 1982 Ranji Trophy semifinal. Taking on Karnataka, the Bombay captain decided to change his regular stance to counter the opposing spinners better.
To find out if this rule still stands, we contacted Krishnaraj Srinath, who is an umpire on the BCCI panel. "The rule remains the same even now. These are the days of switch hits... nothing stops a left-handed batter from trying the grip as a right-hander and vice-versa anytime in the innings. Ambidextral bowlers can do the same after informing the umpire," he clarified.
Did Kohli bat left-handed in Tata IPL 2022?
The fielders in the video are seen donning yellow jerseys -- the colour of former IPL champions Chennai Super Kings. At the beginning of the video, a fielder can be seen at the square leg position. The number '77' and the name 'ROBIN' on his back were in reverse. This gave us the first clue that the video could be a flipped one.
CSK's number 77 is Robin Uthappa, we found out. Following this clue, we learnt that RCB met CSK at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on May 4 for the 49th match of the season.
Streaming platform Hotstar had the repeat telecast of the match. Virat Kohli opened the innings for RCB who batted first. We found the original version of the viral clip 1 hour and 17 minutes into the highlights.
On the final ball of the fourth over and the score at 27-0, Virat Kohli scored a six over the covers. Just before bowler Simarjeet Singh starts his run-up, Robin Uthappa is seen getting ready at the point. His movements were the same as in the viral reel, helping us conclude it was taken from the Hotstar coverage of the game.
However, Virat Kohli was batting right-handed as always. There were no reports of him switching his dominant hand during the tournament. This helped us conclude the viral reel is doctored. Virat Kohli didn't bat left-handed during Tata IPL 2022.
(With inputs from Yash Mittal in New Delhi)
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