Claim: New Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra’s phone was stolen from a hospital in Lahore where he was undergoing treatment for an injury.
Fact: Ravindra’s phone was not stolen. The news was initially shared by an Indian satire account on 17 February. Gaining significant traction with 24,000 likes, the ‘news’ gained virality on social media and was picked up by Indian media outlets without verification.
Two days before the Champions Trophy was set to begin in Pakistan starting with the New Zealand vs Pakistan match, posts on social media claiming Rachin Ravindra’s phone was stolen began circulating. Hans India reported on 19 February, “To make things worse, Rachin’s iPhone was stolen while he was in the hospital, which upset him. This raised concerns about security in Pakistan.”
Soch Fact Check did not find any credible news on the matter reported by the New Zealand or Pakistani media either. Instead, the Lahore police and several Pakistani journalists have clarified that the news is false.
Ravindra’s Injury
A tri-series ODI between Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand took place in Pakistan shortly before the start of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, also hosted by Pakistan.
On 8 February, during the New Zealand vs Pakistan match held in Lahore, New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra sustained a head injury while fielding. The New Zealand cricket team, otherwise known as the ‘Blackcaps’ released the following statement:
“Rachin Ravindra sustained a laceration to the forehead after being struck by the ball in yesterday’s ODI Tri-series win over Pakistan in Lahore. Ravindra passed the initial head injury assessment and the laceration, which required stitches, was addressed and treated at the ground. He is otherwise well and will continue to be monitored under HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. He is unlikely to feature in tomorrow’s match against South Africa.”
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Fact or Fiction?
When Soch Fact Check investigated, we came across a post on X which had shared the claim as satire. On 17 February, an Indian X (Formerly Twitter) account with 8,200 followers named Mufaddla Parody posted, “Rachin Ravindra iPhone was stolen from Lahore hospital where he was admitted after getting injured. [PKT News]”
The X account’s bio states that it posts satire and parody content.
The news was not reported by the New Zealand team, nor claimed by Ravindra himself on any platforms which strengthened our suspicions that the claim is false.
On a live Express News transmission, sports journalist Saleem Khaliq also brought up the claim. At the 2:05 mark in this video, he comments that the Indian media is spreading false news about the ongoing tournament, including the news about Rachin Ravindra’s phone being stolen. “With the amount of security being provided to the cricket teams, even a pigeon cannot fly near them,” he said humorously.
We then came across a statement released by the Lahore police which refuted the claim. The statement clarified that “No such incident took place at all… Circulating fake news is a failed attempt to spoil the festivities of cricket in Pakistan.”
Additionally, Deputy Sports Editor at Geo News, Faizan Lakhani also stated that the New Zealand team media manager had confirmed that the news is false.
“The Indian media’s propaganda continues, they just can’t accept that Pakistan is hosting a major ICC tournament. The news about Rachin Ravindra’s phone is completely false, as confirmed by the New Zealand team’s media manager. If only the Indian media had bothered to verify with an official before airing fake news, but expecting professionalism from them is asking too much,” he wrote, replying to a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) by Firstpost, an Indian news outlet.
In line with Lakhani’s statement, Soch Fact Check also noted that the claim circulated at a time when the Indian media was already raising criticism and exaggerating the “security threat” of hosting an international cricket tournament in Pakistan, which has also been rejected by Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar.
Soch Fact Check, therefore, concludes that the claim is false.
Virality
The claim gained significant virality on social media. The initial post by Mufaddla Parody gained 24,000 likes. An Instagram post by India Recap gained over 280,000 likes.
Additionally, the claim was shared on X here, here, here, here, here, here and here. The claim was also shared on YouTube here, here, here and here.
The most viral post on Facebook gained 95,000 reactions. It was also shared here, here, here, here and here.
Conclusion: Rachin Ravindra’s phone was not stolen while he was being treated at a hospital in Lahore. The news was not reported by any credible news outlets, either within Pakistan or New Zealand. The claim mainly circulated within Indian media amid existing criticism of Pakistan hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Background image in cover photo: AFP/Getty Images
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