Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
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
-Burj Khalifa lit up in KKR colours to wish the team for the IPL finale.
-Burj Khalifa celebrates KKR win in IPL 2024.
Fact
2020 video shared in a false context.
As the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lifted the IPL 2024 trophy, a video of Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa lit up in the colours of Shah Rukh Khan-owned-franchise was widely shared on social media platforms. The 46-second-long-footage shows the famed tower displaying the trademark of the KKR, and pictures of cricketers in the team’s jersey.
Multiple social media users claimed that the Burj Khalifa lit up in the KKR’s colours to wish them luck ahead of the IPL finale, while others claimed that the display was meant to congratulate the team for winning the IPL. However, Newschecker found that the video is from 2020, and has been shared in a false context.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
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Fact Check/Verification
A keyword search for “Burj Khalifa,” “KKR” and “IPL 2024” on Google did noy yield any credible results suggesting that the claim may be dubious.
We, however, did come across an ANI report, dated September 23, 2020, stating, “Ahead of the match against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dubai’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa has lit up in the colours of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The world’s tallest building showcased a breathtaking LED display and honoured KKR by lighting up in their colours (purple and gold).”
A release by the Kolkata Knight Riders from September, 2020, stated, “Burj Khalifa extended a grand welcome to Kolkata Knight Riders in the UAE a night before the team’s first match in Dream XI IPL 2020 by being lit up in Purple and Gold colours. In the curtain raiser, the monumental tower flashed the images of our Knights and the slogan of “HaiTaiyaar”.”
It also featured an Instagram post by the IPL franchise carrying a video similar to the viral footage.
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On comparing the keyframes of the viral footage and the video shared by the KKR on their instagram page, we could conclude that they were the same.
Furthermore, the same video was posted by the official page of Burj Khalifa on September 22, 2020, captioned, “#BurjKhalifa welcomes Kolkata Knight Riders. We wish them good luck for this year’s Indian Premier League.”
Notably, the 13th edition of IPL was held from September to November, 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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Conclusion
We could thus conclude that a 2020 video of the Burj Khalifa lit up in the KKR colours has been falsely linked to the team’s final match in the recently concluded IPL.
Result: False
Sources
Report By ANI, Dated September 23, 2020
Instagram Post By @kkriders, Dated September 22, 2020
Facebook Post By @BurjKhalifaByEmaar, Dated September 22, 2020
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
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.
