Fact Check: CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana did not bend to touch MS Dhoni’s feet but to pick up bowling marker

A video clip circulating on social media with the claim: “Matheesha Pathirana touches MS Dhoni’s feet during the IPL match”

IPL fever is everywhere; fans of the teams and players are sharing multiple videos and graphics to encourage and express their support to them.

Amidst this, a video of CSK player Matheesha Pathirana is in circulation on social media with the claim that he bent down to touch MS Dhoni’s feet to get his blessings.

Fact Check: After careful observation of the video clips which were posted by different social media users,  we found the claim False.

Pathirana bent down to pick up his bowling marker placed nearer to MS Dhoni’s feet.

Using Google reverse image search, we found this video was uploaded by a few other social media users which was shot from a different angle at 10 sec timestamp where it is clearly visible that Pathirana bent down to pick up his bowling marker.

Another Facebook user shared both the videos, which make it easier to understand that the viral video showed Pathirana bending down as soon as Dhoni entered the crease, with the on-field cameraman obstructing the view.

During the search, we also found Sports Keeda, a digital platform which provides sports updates on a daily basis, published an article on March 29, 2024, with a headline “Matheesha Pathirana did not touch MS Dhoni's feet during CSK vs GT IPL 2024 match”.

As per NDTV Sports, “CSK Star Didn't Touch MS Dhoni's Feet. Fresh Video Reveals True Story”.

Hence, we conclude that CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana did not touch MS Dhoni’s feet, he actually bent down to pick up his bowling marker which was placed nearer to Dhoni’s feet.