Archive · 13 Sep 2026
Vande Mataram Played Before National Anthem in India T20I
Before an India–Afghanistan cricket match, Vande Mataram was played first.
Indian players sang along with the song.
Jana Gana Mana, India’s national anthem, was played next.
Afghanistan’s national anthem followed after that.
The order was described as a first for an Indian men’s cricket match.
Reports said all six stanzas of Vande Mataram were played.
The ceremony followed a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
Fans noticed the change, with some praising it and others asking why it happened.
Vande Mataram was played before Jana Gana Mana at the first India–Afghanistan T20I.
Indian players sang Vande Mataram at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The ceremony was described as the first such sequence in Indian men’s cricket.
All six stanzas of Vande Mataram were played under a Union Home Ministry directive.
Afghanistan’s anthem followed, while fans expressed both appreciation and questions about the change.
- Who
- The Indian and Afghanistan cricket teams, with Indian players singing Vande Mataram.
- What
- Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana, and Afghanistan’s anthem were played before the first India–Afghanistan T20I.
- When
- Before the first T20I; one report placed it on Sunday evening, but no exact date was provided.
- Where
- Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, India.
- Why
- The ceremony followed a Union Home Ministry directive dated January 28, according to one report; the articles do not provide further explanation.
Supporters
Questioners
Change to the pre-match ceremony
Supporters
Some fans welcomed the playing of Vande Mataram, describing the experience as moving and memorable.
Questioners
Other viewers questioned why Vande Mataram was played before Jana Gana Mana and sought an explanation for the changed order.
- Match
- First T20I between India and Afghanistan
- Venue
- Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Ceremony order
- Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana, then Afghanistan’s national anthem
- Reported first
- First reported instance of Vande Mataram preceding the national anthem at an Indian men’s cricket match
- Stanzas played
- All six stanzas of Vande Mataram
- Directive
- A Union Home Ministry directive issued on January 28, according to one report
- Public reaction
- Fans at the stadium, television viewers, and social-media users reacted to the change
