Claim: An image shows Indian cricketer Virat Kohli signing a Pakistan cricket team jersey in Perth, Australia.
Fact: The image is AI-generated. It is an altered version of another photograph that shows Kohli signing a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey.
An image of Virat Kohli signing an apparent Pakistan cricket team jersey has been shared online with the caption: “Virat Kohli giving autographs to a Pakistani in Perth, Australia. 🫡❤️”
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted a reverse image search and found a similar photograph that had circulated widely online. In this version, the man extending the jersey towards Kohli bears some resemblance to the fan in the viral image.
Instagram account @revsportz_official shared this image alongside another photo of the same fan getting a jersey signed by Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma. The post also includes a video clip of the fan who identifies as Sahil. He introduces himself as being from Karachi and adds that he is a fan of Virat Kohli.
He then displays two jerseys signed by Kohli: One appears to be an Indian cricket team jersey and the other is a Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the team Kohli plays for in the Indian Premier League.
In the same video clip, he mentions that Rohit Sharma also signed his jersey, and expresses his excitement on meeting both players.
We did not find any other similar photographs of Virat Kohli with another fan. In fact, a closer examination of the image in the claim revealed several inconsistencies, shown in the image below, which suggest that it has been digitally altered using AI. Importantly, the jersey does not resemble any version of the Pakistan cricket team jersey.
Therefore, Soch Fact Check analysed the image using Sight Engine, a content moderation and image analysis tool that detects AI-generated media. According to the results, there was a 99% likelihood that the viral image was AI-generated. Specifically, the “GenAI” classification received a score of 99%, suggesting that it is predominantly linked to AI.
Sight Engine Result
We also ran the image through Undetectable.ai, which assesses image features such as colour patterns, textures, and shapes to determine its authenticity. It concluded the image has a 3% probability of being real, cautioning that it was likely created by AI.
Undetectable.ai Result
Soch Fact Check thus concludes that the viral image is AI-generated. Although the fan himself is Pakistani, the original image does not show Kohli signing Pakistan cricket team jerseys.
Virality
The image was shared here (archive) and here (archive) on Facebook.
On Instagram, it was shared here (archive) and here (archive).
It was shared here (archive) on TikTok.
Conclusion: The image in the claim is AI-generated. The original one shows Kohli signing a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey.
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Background image in cover photo: Facebook
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