On March 9, 2025, Indian cricket fans flooded the streets in celebration after India’s victory in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand. However, some online users claimed that people in Afghanistan were also celebrating India’s win, sharing videos of street celebrations and firecracker displays.
A viral Facebook post captioned, “Burnol moment for Pakistan lovers! Massive celebrations in Afghanistan after India’s CT victory! Afghanistan stood with India, Respect Forever!” quickly gained traction, leading many to believe Afghanistan was celebrating India’s cricket triumph.
However, India Today’s investigation revealed that the video circulating online had been misattributed. Although the footage was filmed in Afghanistan, it was not linked to India’s Champions Trophy victory. The video actually captured celebrations in Jalalabad after Afghanistan’s historic win over England in the group stages of the tournament on February 26, 2025.
The video, initially shared by Afghani photographer Zekria Zeer on Instagram, had the watermark of his account, “zekria.zeer,” and was uploaded on February 27, 2025, long before the Champions Trophy final. Zekria confirmed to India Today that the footage was taken after Afghanistan’s win over England, which was an exciting milestone for the country.
Though it’s unclear if Afghanistan celebrated India’s final victory, it’s clear that the viral video is unrelated to that event.
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