Cricket’s pre-match ceremony at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi gained added solemnity on September 13, 2026, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced a revised protocol for the opening T20I against Afghanistan. In a first under the new arrangement, the complete rendition of Vande Mataram was played for three minutes and ten seconds, preceding the traditional assembly of both teams for the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The national anthem followed immediately after the national song concluded, with players and officials from both nations observing the expanded sequence in full. This change marked a notable extension of the pre-match ceremony compared to the standard single-anthem format typically observed at international fixtures in India.
Reason Behind the Inclusion of ‘Vande Mataram’
The decision aligns with directives outlined in a recent notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the playing of the national song. The BCCI implemented the updated protocol ahead of the September 13 fixture, formally integrating the full performance of Vande Mataram into the pre-game proceedings at Arun Jaitley Stadium. As of now, it remains unclear whether this protocol will be extended to all three matches of the Friendship Cup series or was reserved solely for the opening T20I.
Understanding the Friendship Cup
The ongoing three-match T20I series between Afghanistan and India is officially titled the Friendship Cup. Despite being the visiting side, Afghanistan holds the designated host status for the T20I leg of the tour, with all three encounters scheduled to take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Afghanistan (Playing XI): Ibrahim Zadran(c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy