Aakash Chopra Denies Fake News About Sachin Tendulkar Picking 2027 World Cup Squad
Listen to the story
A false report claimed that former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar had chosen India's squad for the 2027 World Cup. However, this news was not true.
Aakash Chopra, a former Indian cricketer, publicly criticised the false story. He warned people about believing fake news in cricket without checking facts first.
Meanwhile, on the field, India was playing a Test match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Test cricket is the longest format of the game, often lasting five days.
On the second day of the match, India declared their innings at a strong score of 503 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. A declaration means the batting team stops on purpose, even though they still have wickets left.
In reply, Sri Lanka struggled early and were 8 runs for the loss of 2 wickets when play was disturbed.
Indian player Dhruv Jurel scored a century, hitting 100 or more runs in a single innings. It was his second Test century in his career so far.
The day's play ended earlier than expected due to bad light, a common rule in cricket that stops play when there is not enough natural light for safe batting and bowling.
The two stories show how misinformation can spread quickly around sports figures, even while genuine cricket action continues to draw attention.
Vocabulary8 words
- squad
- the group of players chosen for a team
- fake news
- false information presented as true
- declared
- stopped batting on purpose before all players are out
- century
- a score of 100 runs by one batter
- bad light
- when the sky is too dark for safe play
- innings
- the turn a team has to bat
- wickets
- the number of batters who are out
- former
- someone who used to have a role, but not anymore
Quiz
Answer key
1. That he chose India's 2027 World Cup squad 2. 503/9 3. Bad light
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A false report claimed that Sachin Tendulkar had chosen India's _____ for the 2027 World Cup.
Aakash Chopra, a former Indian cricketer, publicly criticised the false _____.
India was playing a Test match against Sri Lanka in _____.
On the second day, India _____ their innings at 503 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
Sri Lanka were 8 runs for the loss of 2 wickets when play was _____.
Dhruv Jurel scored a _____, his second in Test cricket.
The day's play ended earlier than expected due to _____.
This shows how _____ can spread quickly around sports figures.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fake news about famous athletes spreads so easily?
- How can fans check if sports news is true or false?
- Why might a team choose to declare an innings instead of continuing to bat?
- What role do former players like Aakash Chopra play in correcting misinformation?