‘Vande Mataram’ was played before the national anthem at the India vs Japan T20 International in Sano, Japan, following recent guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
IMAGE: Vande Mataram was first played ahead of the Indian national anthem before the start of the India vs Japan T20 International in Sano on Tuesday. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- Vande Mataram was played before a cricket match on foreign soil for the first time, preceding the national anthem at the India vs Japan T20 International in Sano.
- This follows a previous instance on September 13, when Vande Mataram was played before the national anthem at India’s first T20I against Afghanistan.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines on February 6, requiring the rendition of Vande Mataram as part of its 150th-year anniversary.
- The historic India-Japan T20I was reduced to five-overs-per-side due to a three-hour delay caused by a wet outfield.
Vande Mataram was played before a cricket match for the first time on foreign soil when the national song preceded the national anthem before the start of play in the historic India vs Japan one-off T20 International at the Sano International Stadium in Sano on Tuesday.
Recent Guidelines and Previous Instances
Vande Mataram was first played ahead of the Indian national anthem before the start of play in India’s first T20I against Afghanistan on September 13, marking the first such instance in any international sports event.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued guidelines on February 6 this year requiring the rendition of Vande Mataram as part of the 150th-year anniversary of the national song.
The first-ever T20I between India and Japan was reduced to five-overs-per-side after start was delayed by three hours because of a wet outfield.
India survived a huge scare against Japan, escaping with a narrow two-run victory in the rain-hit T20 International.
