AI-generated images of Pandya and Panday are misleading

Images claiming to show Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya hugging actor Ananya Panday after India's win over Australia in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy are actually AI-generated. Detection tools indicated a high probability, over 96% to 99%, that the images were not real. Discrepancies, such as garbled text on Pandya's jersey and an unnatural texture, further confirmed this. These findings clarify that the viral images are not authentic visuals.