Fact Check: Did Rishabh Pant's shot really hit a drone?

A video of Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant hitting a drone in the air during the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan has gone viral on the social media platforms. The clip circulated widely among cricket fans has created a lot of buzz on the social media.

The video quickly attracted attention, with many fans questioning if the incident took place during the match or not. The video shows a ball hitting a flying object off the ground and immediately there was a mixture of disbelief and leading to debate among fans on different social media.

Viral Claim vs Reality — Did Rishabh Pant Actually Hit a Drone or Is It Just Another Social Media Story?

A viral video has claimed that Pant smashed a ball so high that it hit a drone that was flying over the stadium. However, none of the official match footage shows such an event.

The live television broadcast showed no disruption throughout Pant’s innings, and none of his shots ever came close to any aerial camera or drone. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also follows strict safety guidelines for aerial cameras, which always operate above the height of a cricket ball.

Another clear sign that the clip is fake is that it shows a white ball being used and even if we observe clearly at the end of the video, there were two balls. The India vs Afghanistan game is a Test match, for which a red ball is used. This proves that the viral video is not from the match, as it looks AI-generated or digitally manipulated.

Watch the video here

What actually happened on day 2 — India vs Afghanistan Test match full context behind the viral drone moment

On the field, India completely dominated Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan. Resuming on 368/3, India declared their first innings at a massive 564/8.

Captain Shubman Gill scored 126, while Rishabh Pant played an entertaining innings of 81 runs from 121 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes before being dismissed by Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. Washington Sundar also remained unbeaten on 52 and helped India cross the 550-run mark.

Afghanistan struggled in reply as India's bowlers struck regularly. Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar impressed with figures of 3/21, while Rahmat Shah fought hard with an unbeaten 43. By stumps on Day 2, Afghanistan were 113/5 and still trailing India by 451 runs.

So, the video is fake. Rishabh Pant did not strike a drone during the India vs Afghanistan Test at any point and the viral video is not a genuine moment from the match.