After IND vs AFG first, ‘Vande Mataram’ set to become regular before India matches
The national song Vande Mataram was sung before the India vs Afghanistan cricket match on Sunday. Parliament had recently passed a bill making insults to the national song a punishable offense. The full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram was sung during the recent match. This amendment extends legal protection to the national song, similar to the national anthem.
On Sunday, the National Song Vande Mataram was sung before the Indian national anthem during the opening match of a three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. This unusual event occurred after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on January 28 about the protocols for singing Vande Mataram, specifying that six stanzas of the song should be sung at official functions, taking approximately 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
Despite sporting events not being listed in the Ministry's directive, Vande Mataram and the national anthem were sung together for the first time in full on August 15, 2026, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address. In the match, India won the toss and chose to field first, with Jasprit Bumrah returning to the lineup after a break.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was absent, while Sanju Samson replaced him in the team. India captain Shreyas Iyer explained their decision to bowl first based on the pitch conditions in Delhi and highlighted the team's positive experiences from their recent series in Zimbabwe, as well as Bumrah's crucial role.
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- First time ever: Vande Mataram sung before National Anthem at India cricket match timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- Why Vande Mataram was sung before National Anthem in India vs Afghanistan T20I in Delhi - EXPLAINED sports.yahoo.com
