Video doesn’t show Indian PM Narendra Modi calling cricketer Mohammad Siraj

India emerged victorious in the recently concluded Men's Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka, with ace bowler Mohammed Siraj clinching six wickets in seven overs. He became the first Indian cricketer to take four wickets in one over. 

What is the claim?

As social media users celebrated India's win and Siraj's performance, a video started circulating with the claim that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the cricketer and congratulated him over the phone. A user posted this video on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote in Hindi, "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called Siraj's family and the entire team and congratulated him." The post had been viewed over 31,000 times at the time of publication.

Screenshot of viral post. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is false. The video shows Modi speaking to Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S. Somanath after the successful landing on Chandrayaan-3.

What are the facts?

Several news outlets, including NDTV and India Today, had shared the video in question when India's moon mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the lunar surface. The PM had called S. Somanath, chief of Indian space agency ISRO, to congratulate him and his team on the achievement.

This video was also uploaded on the Prime Minister of India's official YouTube channel on August 23, with the title, "PM Modi congratulates ISRO Chief Somnath over a phone call on the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3."

Screenshot of PM Narendra Modi speaking to ISRO chief S. Somnath over the phone. (Source: Youtube/PMOIndia/Screenshot)

We also went through Modi's X timeline and came across a post, dated September 27, congratulating the Indian cricket team for winning the Asia Cup. The post was addressed to the entire team and not just one player. 

The verdict

An old video of PM Narendra Modi congratulating ISRO chief S. Somnath is circulating with the false claim that he lauded cricketer Mohammad Siraj after the Asia Cup win over the phone.