In a first,Vande Mataram played before national anthem at India’s international game
The national song 'Vande Mataram' was played before the national anthem at an international T20 cricket match in New Delhi for the first time. The BCCI plans to make this a standard practice for all home series following Union Home Ministry guidelines.
Why it matters
This marks a significant shift in protocol for major sporting events in India, reflecting government-led efforts to promote national symbols.
In a first-ever instance at an international sporting event, the national song Vande Mataram , penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was played before the national anthem ' Jana Gana Mana ' ahead of India's first T20 International against Afghanistan in New Delhi on Sunday (September 13, 2026).
As per the directive of the Union Home Ministry, all six stanzas were played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with both national anthem (52 seconds) and national song (3 minutes and 10 seconds) taking a total of 4 minutes and two seconds.
According to BCCI sources, ' Vande Mataram ' will henceforth be played before the start of the first match of every home series.
" Vande Mataram will now be played at the start of every home series, before the start of first game," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
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