Social Media has been rife with posts falsely claiming that former Indian cricketer and the country's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who underwent a successful angioplasty last month, has passed away.
This is being shared in the backdrop of Dev (61) undergoing a successful emergency coronary angioplasty on October 23, 2020, after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was discharged from Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute Hospital, New Delhi, two days later on October 25, 2020. Angioplasty is a procedure to restore blood flow through the artery.
Dev had also released a video on October 29, 2020, greeting his former India teammates from the 1983 World Cup, saying he is "feeling very good", thanking everyone for their wishes, and stating that he was eager to meet everyone soon. Post that Dev has also appeared on a news channel on November 2, 2020, to talk about an Indian Premier League match.
The posts falsely claim that Dev has passed away. One such post read when translated, "Tribute to the one because of whom India's name shined around the world and Haryana's pride and ex-cricketer Shri Kapil Dev ji who died because of heart attack"
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(In Hindi - भारत का पूरे विश्व में नाम चमकाने वाले और हरियाणा की आन बान व शान पुर्व क्रिकेटर श्री कपिल देव जी के ह्रदयघात से निधन होने पर भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि)
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
Click here to view, and here for an archive.
BOOM also received the viral image on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111) enquiring about Dev's health.
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Former Indian cricketer and Dev's former teammate Chetan Sharma had taken to Twitter and confirmed that he had been discharged from the hospital on October 25, 2020.
The other photo that has been viral was posted by Sharma after Dev's operation on October 24, 2020, stating that he is okay
On October 23, 2020, Dev himself had tweeted that he was on the road to recovery, and in a video released by him on October 29, 2020, in which he is wearing a full-sleeved purple T-shirt and black trousers he states that he is 'feeling good' and thanks his well-wishers.
"My family 83. The weather is very pleasant and I am very eager to meet you all. I am feeling very good. Thanks to all for your wishes and concern. I am hoping that we all will meet pretty soon. I don't know when will the movie release but I will try to meet you all as early as possible," Dev says in the clip.
Eighty three (83) refers to the movie based on India's first cricket World Cup victory in 1983 led by Kapil Dev. A movie on the same is in the works, with Ranveer Singh playing the all-rounder and Deepika Padukone cast as Dev's wife Romi Dev.
He had most recently appeared on ABP News on November 2, 2020, on a cricket show on the ongoing Indian Premier League, and discussed former Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni form in the IPL and the match that was to be played between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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