Misleading clip used to claim Indian PM slighted Cricket World Cup winners

  • This article is more than one year old.
  • Published on November 23, 2023 at 17:37
  • 3 min read
  • By Erin FLANAGAN

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India hosted this year’s Cricket World Cup and were considered favourites heading into the tournament. A loss against Australia in the final left millions of fans heartbroken in a country where cricket is a national obsession. A clip circulating in South Africa appears to show India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi handing off the cup to Australia’s team captain without shaking his hand before heading off stage. But this is misleading: the video shared online is an outtake of a longer video in which Modi shakes the captain’s hand before congratulating the rest of the winning team.

“Take your trophy and get out of my country,” reads a post on X (formerly Twitter) published on November 21, 2023.

Screenshot of the false post, taken on November 22, 2023

Liked more than 2,500 times, the post includes a 21-second clip from the winner’s ceremony at this year’s tournament held in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

The footage was shared by an account based in South Africa, where cricket is one of the most popular sports. The men’s national team reached the semi-final stages at this year’s event before Australia knocked them out.

In the short clip, Australian team captain Pat Cummins stands alone with the trophy as Modi and another man move off stage, seemingly without acknowledging him.

Users reacted negatively to the video, with some calling it “distasteful” conduct.

Others used the footage as an opportunity to post derogatory comments about Indians.

However, the claim that Modi refused to acknowledge the winning team captain is misleading.

Full clip

Using a keyword search for “cricket World Cup trophy presentation”, AFP Fact Check found a 53-second clip from the ceremony (archived here).

In the footage, Modi presents the trophy to the captain, taking the time to shake Cummins’ hand and pose for photos.

The official logo for the 2023 World Cup is visible in the upper left-hand corner of the clip and matches the one on the stage.

The same symbol is visible in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) official coverage.

A screenshot of from the ICC’s official website, taken on November 23, 2023

At 00’22’’ Modi moves off stage, as seen in the misleading posts, but in the longer clip, he steps off to shake hands with the rest of the Australian side.

Screenshots from the longer version of the clip, taken on November 23, 2023

By searching our photo archives, AFP Fact Check confirmed that Modi shook Cummins’ hand before leaving the stage.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Australia's team captain ( AFP / PUNIT PARANJPE)

An Australian news article identified the second man in the video as Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles (archived here).

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