Cricket's pre-match ceremony at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi took on a new dimension on September 13, 2026, when India's cricket board rolled out a fresh protocol for the 1st T20I against Afghanistan. For the first time at an international fixture under this arrangement, the complete rendition of 'Vande Mataram' was played for 3 minutes and 10 seconds before both squads assembled on the field for 'Jana Gana Mana'.
The national anthem followed immediately after the national song concluded, with
the sequence observed in full by players and officials of both sides. The addition extended the pre-match ceremony noticeably beyond the single-anthem format that has been standard at international cricket matches held in India.
The match itself was scheduled to get under way at 7:00 PM IST, with the toss set for 6:30 PM. Afghanistan carry the status of official host team for the three-match T20I leg of the tour, even though all fixtures are staged at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Why did India's cricket board add 'Vande Mataram' to the pre-match ceremony?
The move is linked to guidelines concerning the national song that were set out in a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. India's cricket board implemented the protocol ahead of the September 13 fixture, formally incorporating the full rendition of 'Vande Mataram' into the pre-game proceedings at Arun Jaitley Stadium. It is also not yet confirmed whether the protocol will be observed at all three matches in the Friendship Cup series or was applied exclusively to the opening T20I.
What is the Friendship Cup and who is playing in the series?
The three-match T20I contest between Afghanistan and India carries the official title of the Friendship Cup. Afghanistan hold host status for the T20I leg of the tour, with all three games taking 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
