India’s national song, Vande Mataram, was played before the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi before the start of the first of a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday, September 13. It was the first time the national song was played before the national anthem at an international cricket fixture involving the Indian cricket team at home.
There were a few surprised faces in the press box in Delhi as the full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram was played before the national anthem after the toss. As a result, the pre-match ceremony was a bit longer than usual. During the T20 World Cup earlier this year and India’s bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan in June, the national song was not played.
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For those unaware, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines on January 28 prescribing the rendition of the full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram at specified official occasions and stating that, whenever the National Song and National Anthem are performed together, Vande Mataram should precede Jana Gana Mana. The guidelines came into focus in February and again amid a controversy over their implementation in June. The government later reiterated the prescribed sequence in a communication issued in July.
At the Red Fort’s Independence Day ceremony, meanwhile, 2026 marked the first time Vande Mataram was rendered as part of the celebrations.
Notably, November 2025 marked the 150th anniversary of India’s National Song, Vande Mataram, which translates to “Mother, I Bow to Thee”. This composition, an enduring anthem, has inspired countless generations of freedom fighters and nation builders, standing as a lasting emblem of India’s national identity and collective spirit. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, ‘Vande Mataram’ was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875, according to the PIB.
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The atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was electric on Sunday evening as the first of the three-match T20Is, part of the landmark Friendship T20 Cup between India and Afghanistan, began.
Before the toss, the Indian team handed a jersey to Afghanistan through captain Shreyas Iyer. A special coin was also used for the toss to honour the friendship between the two countries. The home captain, in this case Ibrahim Zadran, flipped the coin at the toss.
It was the first time Afghanistan were hosting India in a bilateral series. And the chosen venue was Delhi. Afghanistan have hosted other teams at several venues in India, including Greater Noida, but this was the first time they were hosting India.
The second and third T20Is, scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, will also be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
India won the toss and opted to bowl. And it did not take long for India’s lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to strike, as he got the big wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over.
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