Fact Check: Viral Image of Manmohan Singh Greeting Pakistan Cricketers Is not after 26/11 attacks
During the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan in Dubai, a controversy arose when the Indian team, led by
During the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan in Dubai, a controversy arose when the Indian team skipped the customary handshake with the Pakistani players both at the toss and after the game. This match is the first meeting of the Indian and Pakistani teams since the Pahalgam attack and the retaliation by the Indian government.
Following this incident, an image emerged of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh greeting the Pakistani cricket team at a cricket ground. We can also see Congress leader Sharad Pawar in the image. This image is in circulation with the implication that even after the 26/11 terror attacks, former leaders welcomed the Pakistani cricket team.
Amid the 2025 Asia Cup controversy, this old image resurfaced, misleading social media users. An image is in circulation with the caption “Shortly after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the Pakistan cricket team came to India. The then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present to welcome the Pakistan cricket team. Sharad Pawar is also seen with him. Congress shouldn’t teach patriotism to Modi devotees.”
Here is the archive link of the claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The image is not shortly after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
When we searched the image, we found that the image is from Mohali cricket stadium on March 30, 2011, when Indian Prime Minister ManmohanSingh was shaking hands with Pakistani players. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is also seen in the image.
According to an article in Outlook, During the World Cup 2011’s semi-final clash between India and Pakistan, Singh asked Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the match with him in Mohali. Both countries use cricket whenever there is a need to make a political overture. After Gilani’s visit, the situation improved. Pakistan toured India from Christmas Day 2012 until early January 2013, playing a few one-day matches and T20S. That was the last bilateral visit of a Pakistani team to India.
Times Now also shared the video of the event, which was published on March 31, 2011. The video shows Dr Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, greeting the Pakistani cricketers and also the Indian Cricketers.
After the 26/11 terror attacks, the Indian cricket team’s tour of Pakistan was called off after the Indian government refused permission to the team to travel across the border in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, putting an end to the prolonged uncertainty on the fate of the series.
Hence, the viral image showing Dr Manmohan Singh greeting Pakistani cricketers is not from after the 26/11 terror attacks in 2008, but from 2011 during the World Cup semi-final clash between India and Pakistan. The claim is Misleading.