Photo via Hindustan Times

First time ever: Indian players sing Vande Mataram, then National Anthem before start of India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I

In a historic first for international cricket, India's national song, Vande Mataram, resounded across the Arun Jaitley Stadium preceding the anthems of both India and Afghanistan ahead of their opening T20I clash. The rendition adheres to a recent ten-page protocol from the Ministry of Home Affairs dictating that when paired, the 190-second, six-stanza national song must precede Jana Gana Mana with attendees standing attentively, even though sports fixtures were formally exempted from the mandate.

Initially composed in Bengali during the 1870s by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and included in his 1882 book Anandamath, the composition saw its opening two stanzas officially recognized in 1950. The complete dual performance of the song and anthem previously occurred on August 15, 2026, leading into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on Independence Day.