The Verdict: Fake
The original video on Hotstar shows the Afghanistan team member empty-handed.
What is the claim?
Social media users have shared a low-resolution image that shows the Afghanistan cricket team raising the Indian national flag on “Pakistani ground” after defeating the England cricket team on February 26, 2025. The match was held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore as part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.
The image shows a person who appears to be an Afghanistan team member, holding the Indian flag while standing in front of Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan.
An X user (archived here) shared the image and wrote, “After winning against England, the ‘Afghanistan’ team raised the ‘Indian’ flag on Pakistani ground! Seeing this, the whole people of Pakistan were enraged (translated from Hindi).” Archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Facebook/Instagram/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, we found that the image has been edited, and the actual footage shows the Afghanistan team member empty-handed while greeting Khan.
What did we find?
Through reverse image search, we found a short clip posted (archived here) on TikTok that includes the viral frame at the beginning of the video. This video shows the same Afghanistan team member and Khan from behind, but no flag is visible. Instead, we can see the team member extending his arms to greet the cricketer.
Screenshot of the TikTok post. (Source: TikTok/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
Taking a cue from this, we reviewed the Afghanistan vs England match recording available on Hotstar. We found that the viral image was taken from this video after the Afghanistan team won the match, and other Afghan team members and officials came onto the ground to congratulate them. The clip begins at the 0:30:35 timestamp and shows the exact frame aligning with the viral image. Even in this video, the Afghanistan team member walks toward Khan empty-handed.
Additionally, we noted inconsistencies in the viral image, indicating that it has been digitally altered. The hands of the Afghanistan team member holding the flag appear distorted, and the stance looks unnatural.
Inconsistencies in the viral image. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
Furthermore, we found no reports to support the claim that any such thing happened during the match.
The verdict
The viral image has been digitally altered to make it appear like the Afghanistan team member is holding the Indian national flag. Instead, he walked empty-handed towards Aghan cricketer Rashid Khan and extended his arms to greet him.
(This article was first written by Logically Facts, and republished by Deccan Chronicle as part of the Shakti Collective Fact Check initiative)