Fact-check: Snake video circulating as Lahore match footage actually from Sri Lanka

On February 26, following the qualifier for the semi-final match between Afghanistan and England at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Lahore, a video began circulating on social media. The footage, showing a snake slithering across the boundary wall, was widely shared with the claim that it was filmed at Gaddafi Stadium during the match.

The claim is false. The video is not from Pakistan.

Claim

On February 26, a user on X shared a 25-second video purportedly showing a snake crawling on the field during a semi-final qualifying match between Afghanistan and England.

The user captioned the video: “[A snake] made an appearance at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore during the match.” This post has been widely shared, amassing over 636,000 views and nearly 300 reposts.

The claim also spread on TikTok.

Fact

In reality, the video was filmed during a cricket match in Sri Lanka, not Pakistan.

A Google reverse image search using keyframes conducted by Geo Fact Check confirmed that the video was recorded on August 12, 2023, during the Sri Lanka Premier League.

The footage was uploaded by the official Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube channel, where the commentators can also be heard mentioning the snake on the field.

It’s important to note that the clip circulating online has been edited to include shots from the Lahore match, making it appear as if the snake was spotted at Gaddafi Stadium.

Several media reports from that time also confirm that the snake sighting occurred during the Sri Lanka Premier League. A report by The Times of India also confirmed the development.

Verdict: The video of the snake near the boundary line during the match is not from the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan but from the Premier League 2023 in Sri Lanka.

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