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
After spending friendly time with Pakistani cricketers in the Asia Cup, the Border Security Force (BSF) sacked Virat Kohli as Ambassador.
Fact
Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has not been sacked as the BSF ambassador. The viral post is fake.
Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has been the talk of the town on social media since the just concluded Asia Cup. In this context, a video is viral on social media claiming that the BSF has sacked the cricketer from the post of its ambassador after he spent friendly time with Pakistani cricketers in the rain-curtailed match between India and Pakistan.
The video has so far been viewed by more than 15,000 viewers after being published as reels on Facebook.
The Facebook post can be viewed by clicking here.
The same video is also being widely shared on Twitter. One such post can be viewed here.
Fact Check / Verification
In order to ascertain the fact of the viral video, we conducted a Google Keyword search with ‘Virat Kohli’, ‘Virat Kohli suspended from BSF’ & ‘Virat Kohli’s association with BSF’. Our search did not throw up any relevant result on Virat Kohli being discharged from the BSF. Such a news would have gained prominence in the national media but we found no such reports.
Subsequently, we reached out to BSF PRO Manoj Kumar Yadav, located in Rani, Guwahati, to verify the authenticity of the viral post. He unequivocally refuted the viral post’s accuracy, affirming, “This is entirely false. Virat Kohli is a valuable asset to our nation, and we take immense pride in his association with us.”
We also found several posts on social media that claimed that Kohli’s appointment as BSF ambassador was recent. Some of those posts can be viewed by clicking here, here and here.
This was also found to be untrue as his appointment happened on September 22, 2013, and the event was widely reported by various media outlets in the country. They can be viewed by clicking here, here and here.
It is a customary practice for the armed forces to confer honorary ranks upon esteemed cricketers and engage them as brand ambassadors, individuals such as MS Dhoni (Territorial Army), Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Air Force), and Kapil Dev (Territorial Army) have been notable examples. However, Virat Kohli broke new ground by becoming associated with the BSF in this capacity.
Conclusion
Thus, we find that the viral claim that BSF dropped Virat Kohli as its ambassador, is not true. The viral post is fake.
Result: False
Our Sources:
1. X post by Haresh & & Facebook post by Soldier Diary.
2. Report published by Times of India, dated 22 September, 2023
3. Report published by Hindustan Times, dated 20 September, 2023
4. Report published by India Today, dated 20 September, 2023
5. Youtube post by ZeeTV, dated 22 Sep, 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.
