Sri Lankan PM Harini, Honouring Sooryavanshi? The Viral Image Is AI-Generated -…
A viral image depicting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya honoring cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was debunked as an AI-generated fabrication
- Incident date
- Jun 2026
- Target
- Harini Amarasuriya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
In June 2026, a viral photograph surfaced on social media appearing to show 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi receiving a special award from Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The image gained significant traction among cricket fans following Sooryavanshi's high-profile performance in the 2026 IPL season, but investigators quickly determined the scene was entirely fabricated.
What happened
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi arrived in Sri Lanka on June 5, 2026, as part of the India A squad for a triangular one-day series. Amidst the public excitement surrounding his arrival, a doctored image began circulating across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X, suggesting a formal meeting between the athlete and the Prime Minister.
Fact-checkers launched an investigation into the claim, noting that no mainstream media outlets in either India or Sri Lanka reported on such an event, nor were there any official statements from government bodies. When contacted, the Prime Minister’s Media Division confirmed that the meeting never occurred and that the photograph was false. Further analysis using AI-detection tools confirmed that the image was created using artificial intelligence. The incident highlights how synthetic media can be leveraged to exploit public interest in popular figures and sports events to create misinformation.