Hair dryer used to dry pitch in IPL 2023 final? Old pic goes viral

The image of ground staff using hair dryer to dry pitch is not from the ongoing IPL 2023 final match between CSK and GT.

The much-awaited IPL final between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) is presently halted due to heavy downpour. Expectedly, social media, especially Twitter, is flooded with various reactions about rain playing spoilsport. Amid those, an old picture of ground staff drying a pitch using a hair drying is going viral. Many are sharing the image with the context of the current IPL 2023 final match.

Many have wrongly shared this image on Twitter claiming that it is from IPL 2023 final. (Screengrab)

Here are some of the tweets that people are sharing while falsely claiming that the picture is from the ongoing match between CSK and GT.

The image is originally from a match that was played back in 2020 in Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium. During the match the ground staff used devices like steam irons and hairdryers in an effort to dry the pitch.

GT faced a light drizzle during their innings that didn’t cause any stoppages. However, the rain intensified after the third ball of the first over when CSK started batting.