Former Indian cricket captain and legend MS Dhoni’s attire as a Buddhist monk has quickly gone viral on the internet. After the photo went viral, many netizens claimed that the 2011 WC winning captain has converted to Buddhism.
People wrote captions like, “World cup winner and former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has converted to Buddhism. Buddham Sharanam Gachchami” on social media indicating that the former keeper-batsman has adopted the path of Buddhism.
Fact Check behind Dhoni’s Monk avatar
This picture of Dhoni in a monk-like avatar is for a “Star Sports” campaign. The sports channel had posted this image and a video of Dhoni on social media soon after, which resulted in reactions by various people.
Star launched the video of MS Dhoni for the IPL 2021 campaign. The two videos released by Star show Dhoni talking about ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma and ‘King’ Virat Kohli.
The 40-second advertisement shows Dhoni dressed in the robes of a monk and sporting a full-shaved head while teaching the importance of ‘laalach’ (greed) to a bunch of kids playing cricket. This advertisement is aimed at Rohit Sharma and his record 5 IPL trophies.
#VIVOIPL salutes the new Indian spirit that is eager to innovate and rewrite the rulebook.
Will history be created yet again this IPL?
Join us in celebrating #IndiaKaApnaMantra.
LIVE from Apr 9 | Broadcast starts 6 PM, Match starts 7:30 PM | Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar VIP pic.twitter.com/6IcKGwy4np
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 14, 2021
Verdict:
Hence, the viral claim saying Dhoni has converted to Buddhism is misleading. The viral image is just a campaign by IPL broadcaster Star Sports.
Notably, the IPL Governing Council on 7th March has announced the complete schedule for VIVO Indian Premier League 2021. This season will be held in India after nearly two years. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata will host the marquee event of IPL 2021.
The season will kickstart on 9th April 2021 in Chennai with a high-octane clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The World’s Largest Cricket Stadium – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the Playoffs as well as the final on 30th May 2021 which promises to be a visual spectacle.
