The Indian cricket fans erupted into celebrations after the Rohit Sharma-led team won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday (March 9). As social media users laud the team’s four-wicket win over New Zealand, multiple videos allegedly showing celebrations in Afghanistan also gained traction.
Newschecker investigated two videos claiming to show celebrations in Afghanistan over India’s Champions Trophy win, and found them to be false.
Video 1
A video allegedly showing gun-wielding Afghan men dancing after India’s victory has gone viral on social media platforms, with users hailing the “brotherhood” between the two countries.
Such posts can be seen here and here.
Fact
A reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to a post by Pakistan-based YouTube channel ‘MTN World Wide’, dated April 11, 2021. Carrying a longer version of the video, it stated, “#this video is for entertainment only peacefully and Pathan culture wedding Dance. Bannu DJ Full HD Video 2021.”
Bannu is a city in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another YouTube channel shared the video on March 30, 2021, identifying it to be from Bannu.
Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy – AI-Generated Photos Of Virat Kohli With Anushka Sharma Go Viral
The same video had also gone viral in 2021, with a false claim to show Taliban members celebrating Afghanistan’s takeover. News outlet TV9 Bharatvarsh had also claimed it in a report. The channel was called out by Pakistan-based journalist Iftikhar Firdous, who clarified that the video was actually from a marriage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The same was debunked by Newschecker as well on August 23, 2021.
We reached out to a person seen in the video in 2021, who had confirmed to Newschecker that the footage was indeed from a wedding ceremony in Pakistan’s Bannu.
Video 2
Several social media users shared a fifty-seven-second-long video compilation of multiple clips allegedly showing the celebrations in Afghanistan after India defeated New Zealand to lift the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Such posts can be seen here and here.
Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy – Does This Video Show Fireworks At Dubai Stadium After India Entered Finals?
Fact
A Google Lens search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to an Instagram post by @artistxedit, dated February 27, 2025. Carrying the same footage to show celebrations in Afghanistan, after their team’s “historic win over England” in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
We also spotted a watermark of Instagram user “@zekria.zeer”, Afghanistan-based video creator.
On skimming through his profile, we found that the viral clip was shared on February 27, 2025. “A historic win for Afghanistan I🇦🇫🏏Their first-ever victory in Champions Trophy history will be forever remembered in the cricket record books,” the post stated.
In the clearer version of the video, we also spotted “England” and “Afghanistan” displayed on a screen in one of the clips.
The user had also shared another compilation video showing similar visuals of celebrations in Jalalabad.
Afghanistan defeated England in a Champions Trophy match on February 26, eliminating them from the tournament with a 8-run win in Lahore.
We were independently not able to verify other details of the video. However, it predates India’s win in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy – Old Video Of Australian Fan Chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ Shared As Recent
Conclusion
Hence, we found that old and unrelated videos have been shared to show celebrations in Afghanistan after India won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Sources
YouTube Video By MTN World Wide, Dated April 11, 2021
X Post By @IftikharFirdous, Dated August 15, 2021
Instagram Post By @artistxedit, Dated February 27, 2025
Instagram Post By @zekria.zeer, Dated February 27, 2025
