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.
New Delhi witnessed a historic moment in the first-ever T20 International cricket match between India and Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Instead of the customary Indian National Anthem, the National Song, Vande Mataram, was sung before the commencement of the game. The unusual event followed a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which mandated the singing of Vande Mataram's six stanzas at official functions.
The match began with the two teams lining up on the field, and the Indian team opted to field first after winning the toss. Captain Shreyas Iyer cited the pitch conditions in Delhi as the reason for choosing to bowl first.
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- First time ever: Vande Mataram sung before National Anthem at India cricket match timesofindia.indiatimes.com
