Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Industrialist Ratan Tata has announced Rs10 Cr for Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan.
Fact
The viral claim is fake, Ratan Tata himself has denied it by tweeting.
A viral claim on social media suggests that Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan was reportedly fined Rs 55 lakh by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for displaying the Indian flag following a match against Pakistan and that in response, industrialist Ratan Tata has stepped forward and pledged 10 crores to cover for the fee.
The claim was shared with Newschecker on our WhatsApp tipline (+91 9999499044) requesting it to be fact checked.
The video has also been posted on Facebook by many users with similar claims, few of which can be seen here, here and here.
Many X users also have shared the post with the same claim. Those posts can be seen here and here.
On October 23, Pakistan was defeated in the cricket match between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the World Cup. Pakistan scored 282 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs. At the same time, Afghanistan achieved the target of 283 runs by losing two wickets.
Fact Check/Verification
During our investigation of the viral claim, we initiated a search using relevant keywords. However, our search did not yield any credible reports or sources that corroborated the viral claim.
After this, we searched the official X handle of industrialist Ratan Tata and found a tweet made on 30 October 2023. In this tweet, he has not mentioned the name of Rashid Khan, but has described the news as fake.
In a tweet in English, Ratan Tata wrote, “I have made no suggestions to the ICC or any cricket faculty about any cricket member regarding a fine or reward to any players. I have no connection to cricket whatsoever. Please do not believe WhatsApp forwards and videos of such nature unless they come from my official platforms.”
After this, we conducted a comprehensive investigation into the claim regarding Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan carrying the Indian tricolour. Typically, news of this nature gets significant media attention, but we could not find any credible reports or sources confirming this assertion. We also did not find any reports of Rashid Khan being fined for the alleged display.
Unfortunately, we found no information that supported the viral claim.
Conclusion
Thus we find that neither did Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan display the Indian flag after the match with Pakistan, nor was he fined by the ICC for it. The claim that Ratan Tata announced Rs 10 Cr for the cricketer is also false.
Result- False
Our Sources:
Post by Ratan Tata on his X page, dated 30th Oct 2023
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
