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Pakistan reversed its earlier stance on boycotting the India match in the ongoing T20 World Cup, with the government instructing the Salman Ali Agha-led side to play the fixture as scheduled on February 15. Soon after, a video began circulating online claiming that Congress MP and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor was applauding the decision. The video has been making the rounds on social media.
What did the video show?
In the video, Tharoor can be heard saying: “I think how Pakistan played is indeed brilliant. I do not know what they would do on the field. But what they did diplomatically is absolute brilliance. The Indian cricket board was completely pinned hands down. This serves as a lesson that good diplomacy can even make a weak nation appear as a goliath. Pakistan has done it, and I want to appreciate them for it. It is unthinkable.”
The AI-generated video was shared on X with the caption, "Pakistan nailed India, says @ShashiTharoor adding, "Pakistan deserves to be appreciated for taking a bold stand" in #icct20worldcup2026."
'Neither my language nor my voice'
Reacting to the forged video, the Congress MP said it was fake and generated using artificial intelligence. "Ai-generated “fake news” — and not even very good. Neither my language nor my voice," Tharoor said.
The Congress MP had instead slammed Islamabad’s decision to boycott the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, calling it ‘disgraceful’. Tharoor criticised the growing politicisation of cricket, underlining that sport should act as a bridge rather than a divider. “Pretty disgraceful that sport has been politicised in this way on both sides, frankly,” Tharoor had said.
Tharoor’s comments followed Pakistan’s announcement that it would skip its February 15 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against India. The Pakistan government confirmed the move in a post on X, saying the team "shall not take the field" against India.
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