Vande Mataram played before national anthem at India-Afghanistan T20I

The national song 'Vande Mataram' was played before the national anthem at the IND-AFG T20I. This comes as a new law gives the song the same statutory protection as the national anthem, making any insult to it a criminal offence.

Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran and Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer. (Photo: @BCCI X)

Vande Mataram Played at IND-AFG T20I

The national song 'Vande Mataram' was played during the first T20I between India and Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, followed by the national anthem. As both teams lined up for the pre-match proceedings, India's national song 'Vande Mataram' was played first, followed by the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'.

New Law Gives 'Vande Mataram' Same Status as National Anthem

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in July passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by voice vote. The Act makes any obstruction or insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence and was passed after a brief discussion amid uproar by the opposition MPs.

The Amendment was introduced in the Upper House on July 24. The Act penalises insults to the national flag, the Constitution of India, and the national anthem and the amendment gives Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem. The law has now been officially implemented.

India Opts to Field First

India won the toss and opted to field first in the first T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah returns to the Indian side for his first T20I appearance since IPL 2026, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses out, with wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson coming into the playing XI despite Sooryavanshi’s impressive performances in the Zimbabwe T20I series. Notably, this is an away series for India, with Afghanistan designated as the official home side despite the matches being played in Delhi.

Playing XIs

India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I playing XIs: India: 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.

Afghanistan: 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. (ANI)

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