After the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian cricket team faced the Pakistani cricket team on 14 September 2025 in the Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai. There were numerous calls for boycotting the match in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Against this backdrop, a video allegedly showing Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi with ICC chairman Jay Shah and BJP leader Anurag Thakur, watching the recent Asia Cup 2025 IND VS PAK match went viral on social media.
Facebook Link | Archived Link.
However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was misleading. The viral video predates the recent Asia Cup 2025 IND VS PAK match. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by taking screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. This led us to an Instagram post where the viral video was uploaded on 26 February 2025.
The caption of the post reads, “Nationalism is a poison given to the poor by the rich.
#india #pakistan #indvspak #championstrophy2025 #politics #reels”
We noticed the hashtag “Champions Trophy 2025” in the caption. Moreover, the video predates the recent Asia Cup 2025 IND VS PAK match. Taking this clue, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This led us to a report published in Siasat.com on 24 February 2025, which reads, “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur faced significant backlash after a photograph of him with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi during an India-Pakistan cricket match in Dubai went viral. The surprising association generated media buzz due to Afridi’s previous controversial appeals and campaign. Afridi who has a history of being involved with the Pakistan Army is known for his vocal campaign on social media against India where he advocated to merge Kashmir with Pakistan.
The image shows BJP MP Thakur and Afridi sitting close in a classroom and watching the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match held in Dubai International Stadium. The image was widely circulated on social media platforms shortly after India triumphed over Pakistan by six wickets and secured their spot in the semi-finals placing Pakistan in a precarious position…”
Another report containing the viral video can be read here.
This makes it clear that the viral video is old and unrelated to the recent Asia Cup 2025 IND VS PAK match.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is misleading. The viral video is not from the recent Asia Cup 2025 IND VS PAK match. The video is from the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai on 23 February 2025.
Title:Old Video Of Anurag Thakur, Shahid Afridi And Jay Shah From The Champions Trophy 2025 Is Going Viral Linking To The Recent Asia Cup IND VS PAK Match.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: Misleading
