New Delhi: The Indian team management was on Tuesday criticised on social media after they did not include right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami in the playing XI for the World Cup semi-final clash against New Zealand at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Shami, who has picked up 14 wickets in the four matches that he has played so far, was not included in the playing XI. Instead, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was included in the side in place of Kuldeep Yadav. Shami also did not play in India’s last league game against Sri Lanka on July 6.
“Okay with Chahal over Kuldeep. Not so much for Shami’s exclusion. Only five bowlers is a possible concern but from that perspective, bowling first isn’t that bad a thing. India bats deep with this combination,” said cricketer-turned-commentator Akash Chopra after former India skipper Sourav Ganguly questioned Kohli’s move.
“Like Sourav Ganguly, I admit I am surprised by the dropping of Shami. He takes wickets upfront and if you do, the death overs aren’t as critical. India batting very deep with Jadeja at 8 but it is a big call to leave out Kuldeep against a team he has done well,” tweeted celebrated commentator Harsha Bhogle.
“India’s XI is slightly conservative. Picking Bhuvi & Jadeja ahead of Kuldeep & Shami they’ve arguably picked the better all-round players at the expense of the better bowlers, but on a fresh pitch which has been high-scoring in this comp that batting depth could be precious,” wrote one of the Twitter users.
“There are about 20 people sitting around me right now, nobody has a clue why Bhuvi is playing ahead of Shami. And they all know the game,” tweeted another user.
“Really surprised that Shami isn’t in the squad for this crucial game,” said another user on the microblogging website.
“Is Shami injured or have we wilfully not picked the guy with 14 wickets in 4 games & the best strike rate in the entire tournament?”
Okay with Chahal over Kuldeep. Not so much for Shami’s exclusion. Only five bowlers is a possible concern but from that perspective, bowling first isn’t that bad a thing. India bats deep with this combination. #CWC19 #IndvNZ
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) July 9, 2019
Like @SGanguly99, I admit I am surprised by the dropping of Shami. He takes wickets upfront and if you do, the death overs aren't as critical. India batting very deep with Jadeja at 8 but it is a big call to leave out Kuldeep against a team he has done well.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 9, 2019
Arre Bhai, Shami kidhar hai?? ? https://t.co/TG8ZzqKHLZ
— arjun chugh (@arjun_chugh) July 9, 2019
Mohammad Shami at #CWC19: 14 wickets in 4 matches, SR of 15
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) July 9, 2019
Bhuvneshwar Kumar at #CWC19: 7 wickets in 5 matches, SR of 35.7
Has #TeamIndia made the right choice with its selection? #INDvNZ
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A video showing a young man attempting to strangle a young woman in the middle of a road while covering his face with a cloth is being widely shared on social media platforms (here, here, here, and here). The claim accompanying the video suggests that, in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man attempted to kill a Hindu woman after she rejected his proposal. Through this article, let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows a Muslim man attacking a Hindu girl in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: This viral video shows an incident that occurred on 04 January 2025 under the jurisdiction of the Gajraula police station in Amroha district, Uttar Pradesh, where a young man named Rahul attempted to strangle a young girl on the road. According to the Amroha police, there is no communal angle involved in the incident. Both the accused and the victim belong to the same community. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This search led us to multiple news reports (here, here, here, here, and here) featuring the same visuals. According to these reports, the incident occurred on 04 January 2025 in Salempur Gosai, under the jurisdiction of the Gajraula police station, in Amroha district, Uttar Pradesh. The reports identified the accused as Rahul. A nursing student, who resides in a village within the Gajraula police station area, was returning home from college on 04 January 2025. On the way, Rahul, a resident of the same village, stopped her. He then attempted to strangle her by wrapping a scarf around her neck. Some nearby bystanders intervened and saved the student. Following this, the police registered a case against Rahul and arrested him the next day. The reports further stated that Rahul had been in a relationship with the girl for the past four years. A few days earlier, he reportedly saw her talking to another boy, which enraged him and led to the attack.
According to a ‘Times of India’ report dated 07 January 2025, Amroha SP Kunwar Anupam Singh stated, “The police have arrested the accused and sent him to jail under judicial custody. The accused and the victim are from the same village. We have registered a case against the accused under Sections 126(2), 115(2), 76, and 109 of the BNS, along with Sections 7/8 of the POCSO Act, based on the complaint filed by the victim’s family members.”
In response to a viral video on X (formerly Twitter), the Amroha police stated that the accused had been apprehended and was currently in custody. They also confirmed that both the accused and the victim belonged to the same caste and knew each other prior to the incident. Additionally, the police dismissed the communal narrative being spread on social media and urged people not to share misinformation about the incident.
महोदय, कृपया अवगत कराना है कि उपरोक्त प्रकरण में प्राप्त तहरीर के आधार पर अभियोग पंजीकृत है, अभियुक्त को गिरफ्तार कर जेल भेजा जा चुका है। दोनो पक्ष सजातीय हैं तथा पूर्व परिचित हैं। कृपया भ्रामक खबर न फेलाये।
— Amroha Police (@amrohapolice) January 7, 2025
The Amroha Police has also issued a press release on this matter, which states that the accused in this incident is Rahul, son of Dharamveer. Additionally, we have contacted the Gajraula police station. In a conversation with us, an official from the Gajraula police station refuted the viral claim and clarified that there is no communal angle involved in this incident. He further stated that both the victim and the accused belong to the same community.
To sum up, there is no communal angle involved in the incident where a man attempted to strangle a young girl in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, on 04 January 2025. Both the accused and the victim in this incident belong to the same community.