These days, false claims spread easily on social media, often causing significant harm and danger. Fake news tends to go viral rapidly across platforms. To help protect you from misinformation, we bring you India TV Fact Check. Recently, a post has been widely shared on social media claiming that Indian Army Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who briefed the media about Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, met 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made a sensational IPL debut, scoring a century in 35 balls for Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL 2025. However, upon investigation, this claim was found to be false and digitally edited.
What is going viral?
A photo showing Colonel Qureshi and Vaibhav Suryavanshi together is being widely circulated on social media. Sharing the picture, a user named bollytrend2 wrote: "Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sofia Qureshi, a dynamic duo spreading positivity and joy! #VaibhavSuryavanshi #sofiaqureshi."
Investigation
We then searched for the viral photo using Google Lens, which led us to an Instagram post by cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi, dated 24 March 2024. The post featured a similar photo with the same background, but it showed him with former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer, not Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
The photo was originally taken during his preparation for the Under-19 tournament, where he was seen with his coach, Wasim Zafar. A comparison between the viral image and the original photo of Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Wasim Jaffer confirms that the viral picture has been digitally altered. In the edited version, Wasim Jaffer has been replaced with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, falsely portraying that the two were seen together. This manipulated photo is being widely circulated with misleading claims.
What came out in fact check?
A fact check done by India TV has confirmed that the viral photo of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi with cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi is digitally altered. The original photo was posted by Vaibhav in March 2024, which featured him with former cricketer Wasim Jaffer at a cricket event in Andhra Pradesh. People are advised to remain cautious and not fall for such misleading posts on social media.
Also Read: Fact Check: Did Rahul Gandhi meet Jyoti Malhotra? Know truth behind viral photo
Also Read: Fact Check: No, Bollywood actor Sanjay Mishra did not die, viral social media claims are false