Misleading CWG video on Hima Das creates confusion; Virender Sehwag gets entangled by ‘fake news’

New Delhi: A misleading video involving India sprinter Hima Das created a flutter on Saturday, and had, among others, former cricketer Virender Sehwag, entangled in its web of misinformation.

The double World Cup winner shared a tweet celebrating sprinter Hima Das’ purported 400m gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games much to the amusement of those who follow athletics.

The video which went viral was in fact that of Das winning the 400m at the U-20 athletics World Championships in Tampere, Finland in 2018, when she became the first Indian to win that title. The clip also did the rounds on WhatsApp with many users sharing it without corroboration.

Sehwag quote-tweeted the original post—shared by a handle named Pegasus—with the caption, “What a win! Indian athletes have totally arrived. Many congratulations to Hima Das on winning gold in the 400m at the Commonwealth Games. Fakr Hai.”

The 43-year-old deleted the tweet on being called out.

After realizing that he was a victim of misinformation, Sehwag deleted his tweet and congratulated Sanket Mahadev Sargar, who clinched India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Despite correcting his mistake, Sehwag was brutally trolled by the fans in the comment section and some also advised him to stay informed better.