Fact Check: Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma's new born baby pics are fake

Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli became proud parents of a daughter on Monday, January 11, 2021.  Virat shared the news and requested fans and followers to respect their privacy. Soon, Virat's brother Vikas Kohli took to his Instagram account and shared a picture of a baby's feet. He captioned the post as "Happiness overboard .... angel in the house."

In no time the picture of baby's feet started doing rounds on the internet, and everyone termed it as the first pic of baby Virushka. Not just that, several photos of new mom Anushka Sharma 'carrying' her newborn started circulating on the internet. 

However, the viral baby pic claim has been debunked by Virat's brother Vikas Kohli.

Claim:

The skipper's brother Vikas Kohli shared a picture of a baby's feet to welcome the new addition to their family. The said pic is going viral on the internet and fans have termed it the first pic of baby Virushka. The pic also has a Welcome GIF with adorable animals. Even paparazzi pages have termed it as the first pic of a newborn baby girl.

Not just Vikas Kohli but even Virat's sister Bhawna wished the couple and wrote, "So happy to be bua of a beautiful little angel. Congratulations proud parents Virat and Anushka." She even shared a quote that read, "A baby girl is a blessing. A gift from heaven above. A precious little angel to cherish and love."

Photos of Anushka Sharma 'carrying' her newborn are also going viral on the Internet along with the thumbnail image and a video.

Fact check:

The images shared by them are not the first glimpses of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's daughter but merely stock images.

Virat's brother Vikas took to social media and clarified sharing: The picture I posted yesterday to congratulate Anushka and Virat is random and not the actual picture of the baby..."

A viral image of a woman holding a baby was shared widely as the baby's first photo but it is a common stock image used in "tips and tricks" articles for new moms welcoming their babies into the world. The photo shared as "Anushka's baby photo" has appeared in many articles in the past, including this one from 2009, over a decade ago.

Not just Twitter, the old stock image also featured in several YouTube videos depicting the "real" photo of the actress and her newborn.

Virat Kolhi announced on Monday that he had been blessed with a daughter

For the unversed, Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma and cricketer, Virat Kohli are now parents to a baby girl. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed a daughter, their first child, on Monday at Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital. The security is beefed up at the hospital, and serval reports claim that no one is allowed t meet the Lil one for security reasons. 

Talking about Virat's post, it read, "We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy, and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat."

Virat and Anushka tied the knot on December 11, 2017.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma had tied the knot in a grand but extremely private ceremony in Italy on December 11, 2017. They had announced on August 27, 2020, that they were expecting their first baby in January.

The Indian Captain is currently on paternity leave after leading India in the First Test against Australia Down Under, and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane took over for the remaining matches. Anushka Sharma, whose last film was Zero in 2018, produced ventures like Paatal Lok and Bulbbul last year.