During the 04 March 2025 match against Australia in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami was spotted having an energy drink, sparking controversy over his Roza observance. Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, criticised Shami, calling him a “criminal” under Shariat for not fasting. His remarks led to widespread debate, with several Muslim clerics coming to Shami’s defence. Amidst the controversy, a video going viral on social media (here, here, and here) shows Shami allegedly stating, “I broke Roza that day. Muslim brothers and sisters, please don’t get me wrong. I did not do it intentionally. I was forced to break my Roza, otherwise, those people would have destroyed my career. I again apologise to my Muslim brothers and sisters.” Let’s verify the truth behind the video in this article.
Claim: Video shows Mohammed Shami stating that he was forced to break his fast during the ICC Champions Trophy and apologising to the Muslim community for it.
Fact: The viral video is an edited version of an older clip from 11 April 2024, in which Mohammed Shami was merely extending Eid greetings. There are no reports about any such apology by Shami for breaking his Roza during the ICC Champions Trophy match against Australia on 04 March 2025. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we conducted a Google keyword search but found no reports of Mohammed Shami apologising for not observing Roza after the India vs. Australia match on 04 March 2025. We also checked his social media handles (here, here, here, and here) but found no such statement.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a similar video of Mohammed Shami on his Instagram handle, posted on 11 April 2024. In the video, Shami is seen wearing the same outfit as in the viral clip and is heard wishing people on Eid, saying, “Keep enjoying the sweets on Eid. Today is Eid. Celebrate the festival of Eid nicely.” However, nowhere in the video does he mention breaking Roza or apologising for it.
We found another Instagram post by Shami from 11 April 2024, showing him in the same attire as in the viral video. The post reads, “Eid Mubarak to all my dear friends and family… May this special day be filled with joy, love, and blessings. Wishing you peace, happiness, and prosperity.”
To sum up, the audio of an April 2024 video of Mohammed Shami extending Eid greetings was altered to falsely claim he apologised for breaking his Roza during the ICC Champions Trophy against Australia on 04 March 2025.
