1980s AI trend: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reacts as Bumrah, Shreyas and Team India go retro

Dubai: The 1980s have made a comeback on social media, and the latest group to join the nostalgia wave is the Indian cricket team.

Just two days before the start of their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi, India’s players got a light-hearted surprise when they discovered AI-generated versions of themselves dressed as 1980s-era stars. The fun moment was captured on video and shared by the official BCCI X handle.

The viral trend uses ChatGPT to transform modern photographs into retro portraits, complete with vintage hairstyles, colourful clothing, old-school settings, oversized sunglasses and the grainy texture associated with photographs from the decade. The trend has already spread across social media, with celebrities, cricketers and IPL franchises embracing the throwback look.

The Indian players got to see their own transformations while gathered at their hotel ahead of a team photo session. A collection of AI-generated pictures featuring members of the squad had been placed on a table, immediately becoming a source of amusement.

Jasprit Bumrah was among the first to inspect the pictures. Smiling as he looked through the retro avatars, the fast bowler joined his teammates in debating who had best pulled off the 1980s style.

Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube also examined their pictures, with the dramatically altered hairstyles, outfits and backgrounds prompting plenty of laughter.

Ishan Kishan appeared to embrace the nostalgic vibe completely. He proudly held up his stylish retro portrait for the camera, posing enthusiastically as his teammates compared their different looks.

Youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has generally appeared more reserved in front of cameras, also could not hide his smile when he saw his 1980s avatar.

For the teenage cricketer, the transformation offered a particularly amusing time-travel moment. Born long after the decade had ended, Sooryavanshi was suddenly presented as though he belonged to an entirely different generation of cricket.

The trend has also attracted attention across the cricket world. IPL franchises, including Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans, have shared retro AI-generated images of their players, including Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Sooryavanshi.

Unlike a conventional vintage filter, the trend allows users to dramatically redesign a photograph, changing clothing, hairstyles, surroundings, lighting and photographic texture to recreate the feel of the 1980s.

For Team India, however, the craze offered more than social media content. It gave the players a playful break from their preparations before their upcoming Afghanistan series, with the BCCI video capturing their candid reactions and plenty of laughter.