Preity Zinta Fumes Over 'Morphed Image' With IPL Teen Sensation, Slams Fake News
Preity Zinta, co-owner of Punjab Kings, was left furious after a morphed image of her with an IPL player went viral on social media. What surprised the actor was that the image was used by several news portals. "This is a morphed image and fake news. Am so surprised now news channels are also using morphed images and featuring them as news items!" Preity Zinta posted on X while commenting on another post. While that post was deleted, several social media users pointed that the image Preity was referring to was that of her hugging Rajasthan Royals player Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) May 20, 2025
While Suryavanshi met Preity Zinta after an IPL 2025 match, they never hugged. The video of their meeting was posted by RR.
Flex levels at school: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pic.twitter.com/IhGvZKzL3R
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 19, 2025
3386
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: Digitally manipulated images allegedly showing cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi hugging Bollywood actress Preity Zinta are being circulated on social media, with many users and media outlets falsely claiming them to be authentic. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/OpIZZ2ImEr
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) May 20, 2025
Suryavanshi has been one of the brightest talents to emerge in the IPL 2025. RR head coach Rahul Dravid hopes that the young Indian players in the Rajasthan Royals' ranks will soon get the opportunity to play "tough international cricket," which in turn will help them return stronger for the next IPL season. The Royals crashed to their fifth successive defeat when they went down against Punjab Kings by 10 runs here on Sunday.
"We've seen some abilities. Even today, the batting that Jaiswal did, Vaibhav did, Dhruv Jurel did. There's a lot of Sanju, Riyan today. We have a lot of young, good Indian batsmen. They'll be even better in a year," Dravid said in the post match press conference.
Dravid then expanded his thoughts on how the young names in the Royals' ranks can perform better a year down the road.
"Vaibhav (Suryavanshi) will play a lot of cricket like India U19. Riyan Parag will also play a lot of cricket. So, I think all these players will play a lot of cricket for India throughout the year — tough cricket, international cricket.
"So, hopefully when they come back here next year, they will be more experienced. They are already very talented players," he added.
Dravid felt that the Rajasthan bowlers and batters have not been able to apply finishing touches to the job, leading to the team's dismal show this season.
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Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Should Gukesh rue the missed chance to win title or take heart that he beat Carlsen and Arjun in classical chess in Norway?
After two weeks of pulling rabbits out of the hat and grinding his way to wins even when he was in worse positions from the start of games, there were no more rabbits left to be found for Gukesh Dommaraju. The 19-year-old world champion had started the final round of the Norway Chess tournament with a realistic chance of winning the title, starting just 0.5 points behind leader Magnus Carlsen. But he ended the tournament in third spot, after losing the round 10 game to USA's Fabiano Caruana, who pipped him to second spot in the standings, behind title winner Magnus Carlsen. It was a gripping end to a tournament that had been billed as the first Carlsen vs Gukesh clash in classical chess since the Indian teenager's coronation as world champion. In what was one of the most dramatic days of chess this year, Gukesh's final game against Caruana was a perfect highlight reel of his whole tournament in Stavanger: he started off worse than his opponent, then through sheer tenacity found some incredible resources to gain an edge, and then found himself in the clutches of time trouble. While he ended third in the standings, the event saw Gukesh beat Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi for the first time in classical chess. The win over Carlsen was sweeter for more reasons than one: after defeating the world champion from India, Carlsen had posted 'You come for the king, you better not miss' — a line from HBO's popular series The Wire. Gukesh's second, Grzegorz Gajewski, had also told Indian media: 'As a world champion, he keeps facing these comments that, 'ok, you're the world champion only because Magnus didn't play. You know, you try not to hear those comments. But then you lose to him, and then you lose to him again, and that's not a bit pleasant.' Those first-ever wins over Carlsen and Arjun notwithstanding, Gukesh will be smarting. This is, after all, the second classical tournament since he became world champion in December last year — the first being the Tata Steel tournament at the start of the year in Wijk aan Zee — where he has been within touching distance of winning the title coming into the final round and then letting it slip. Gukesh's desperation to beat Caruana and win the title was apparent early on. He started to take risks in the game on Friday from as early as move 4 — playing 4.h6, to signal his intent to fight for the title. Caruana, who also had a chance to win the title, was not about to be left behind. Right after Gukesh castled long, the American's b pawn marched down the board (14…b4) towards the black king. By the 17th move, Gukesh had 30 minutes lesser on his clock compared to the American. Caruana also had an edge in the game as per the eval bar. At multiple times at this event Gukesh has been in trouble due to the time control used at this event — two hours with no increments and then 10 seconds added from move 41. By the 34th move from both players, the American had surged ahead as per the eval bar. At this stage, Gukesh had an additional pawn and a rook while the American had a knight and a bishop still on the battlefield. Carlsen, meanwhile, was struggling on the adjoining board against Arjun. A win for Arjun against the Norwegian would have meant that Gukesh could win the title with just a draw in the classical portion against Caruana. Gukesh was under massive time trouble by the 45th move, his time having trickled down to 15 seconds. That's when he got a lifeline as Caruana blundered with 47.f4. This left Gukesh's pawn on the d file to make a run to promote to a queen. When Gukesh played 48… d1=Q, it turned out to be one of the most significant moments of Norway Chess 2025. Because, that was a Championship-surrendering blunder as Caruana had a one-two knockout punch ready: he captured Gukesh's original queen on the next move with a bishop, giving a discovered check on Gukesh's king. When Gukesh moved the king out of safety, Caruana took all of seven seconds to hop his knight to c3 which forked the Indian's rook and recently-promoted queen. As soon as Gukesh saw that haymaker of a move, he plunged his face in his hands, unable to believe what he had just done. He resigned soon enough, and then covered his face with a hand for a long time. On the other board, Carlsen, realising that Caruana was going to win, played out a draw, which was enough for his seventh title in 13 years. Gukesh looked devastated as he walked out of the playing hall. Carlsen, meanwhile, went on to lose to Arjun in the Armageddon. He was on broadcast studios talking about the 'pain of chess' — a reference to his own fist-smashing meltdown after throwing away a winning position against Gukesh in round 6. But the Norwegian might as well have been talking about the teenage boy from India and what he was feeling at that moment. Carlsen did have kind things to say about the two Indians in the fray. 'I think the kids are on track. But they're not way ahead of schedule,' Carlsen said on the Norway Chess broadcast. The world no 1 then said that looking at Gukesh play at the event, he was reminded of himself back in 2008 or 2009 when he was just breaking through. 'It wasn't always so pretty,' Carlsen added before explaining how at Linares 2008, there was Viswanathan Anand who was cruising in first place while he was 'playing crazy games every which way'. Gukesh might not have been in the mood to look at his glass and think of it as half full, but Carlsen had a hint of positivity to offer for the Indian teenager. 'You can see in certain games or in parts of the game that Gukesh and Arjun are far behind myself, Fabiano and Hikaru Nakamura. But we're also the very best players in the world. They're not supposed to be our equals in every part of the game. The fact that Gukesh can actually fight for tournament victory despite having so many bad positions, like he will probably not be happy with himself. But it is encouraging. It's typical. That's what kids do.' (The writer is in Stavanger at the invitation of Norway Chess) Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
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Rahul, Karun and India seeking a batting high in England
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News18
36 minutes ago
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Video On ‘Vande Bharat' Crisscrossing Each Other Ignites Curiosity: ‘Science Hai? Gaming Site Hai?'
Last Updated: The viral video showcases an astonishing railway crossover scene where three "Vande Bharat trains" navigate an X-shaped junction with curved tracks. A stunning animated video showing three high-speed trains seamlessly crossing each other at a railway junction has gone viral on social media, sparking fascination and debate. The video, widely circulated with patriotic captions, claims to showcase India's advanced railway infrastructure, crediting Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. However, what many viewers may not realize is that this is not real footage but a 3D animation. The trains featured are not actual Vande Bharat trains, but realistic 3D models created for visual impact. The viral clip portrays a remarkable scene where three trains approach a large, X-shaped railway junction, each taking a looping track and crossing paths with flawless synchronisation. The sequence appears to show a feat of rail engineering — no delays, no halts, just a graceful dance of trains crossing each other in what looks like perfect harmony. Watch the video here: 3 Vande Bharat trains crossing each other, not possible in any other proud of our Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishwaw ji — Abhishek ✨ (@ImAbhishek7_) June 6, 2025 However, a closer inspection reveals that this video is entirely computer-generated. The trains depicted are not actual Vande Bharat trains, but rather 3D models. The smooth textures, exaggerated rail layout, and perfectly looped paths are characteristic of high-quality animation, not real-world engineering. The junction itself is an idealised design, not one currently found in India or elsewhere. Despite being fictional, the video has captivated viewers with its imaginative representation of what future rail coordination might look like. It reflects the aspirations surrounding India's expanding rail network, especially the Vande Bharat initiative. Interesting Facts About Vande Bharat – The Vande Bharat Express is a symbol of India's homegrown technology, designed and built entirely by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. It stands as a major achievement in Indian engineering. – What makes it special is its high-speed capability — running up to 180 km/h — which helps cut down travel time between major cities. – The Vande Bharat Express is also known for its sleek, aerodynamic design, which looks like a bullet and helps it move faster by reducing air resistance and improving energy efficiency. – Inside, the train is built for passenger comfort — with spacious, comfortable seats, large windows, and modern facilities throughout the coaches. – The Vande Bharat Express comes with advanced safety features, including anti-collision systems and automatic fire detection, to ensure passenger safety at all times. – It's also eco-friendly, designed with sustainability in mind. The train uses regenerative braking, which turns kinetic energy into electricity, helping save power and reduce energy use. – The Vande Bharat Express provides a variety of modern onboard amenities, including Wi-Fi, infotainment systems, and modular toilets. This blend of technology and comfort ensures a pleasant travel experience for passengers.
