CHENNAI: In a first, India's national song as well as the national anthem were played before the start of an international cricket match.
After both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana reverberated around the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Afghanistan's national anthem was played. Curiously enough, even though the national song was played, for the purposes of record-keeping, Afghanistan will be the home team for the entirety of the three-match T20I series (the other two matches will also be held in the national capital). This is in line with a new directive issued by the Union Home Ministry from earlier this year to celebrate the 150th year of the national song.
"It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of occasions on which the singing (as distinct from playing) of official version of the national song can be permitted," the order had said. "But there is no objection to the singing of the national song accompanied by mass singing so long as it done with due respect as a salutation to the motherland and proper decorum is maintained."
It remains to be seen if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decide to implement this for all international cricket matches in India -- or for the opening match of a series -- going forward. Interestingly, this is not the first time of the national song preceeding the national anthem at the Arun jaitley Stadium. It's understood that DDCA officials had this arrangement in place for all Delhi Premier League games this year.