India debutant Naman Dhir found himself in a brief moment of confusion during the pre-match ceremony ahead of the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday, September 27. ‘Vande Mataram’ was played before the National Anthem ahead of the start of the match, with Dhir standing alongside Virat Kohli. The playing of ‘Vande Mataram’ before India matches is part of a recently introduced protocol around the National Song. It was first seen at an India men’s international match during the Afghanistan T20I in New Delhi on September 13, 2026, when the full six-stanza version was played before ‘Jana Gana Mana’, following a Union Home Ministry directive. When the patriotic song ended, Dhir appeared to think the ceremony was over and briefly started applauding. However, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ began playing immediately afterwards, making Dhir realise that the National Anthem was about to start.
The debutant promptly stopped clapping and moved into the ‘savdhaan’ position as the National Anthem began. The cameras captured the entire sequence, and the brief moment soon caught the attention of cricket fans. The incident came moments before India began their campaign against West Indies in the ODI series. Dhir was part of the Indian playing XI for the series opener, earning his maiden ODI cap on an important day in his international career. His reaction during the ceremony provided an amusing moment before the focus shifted to the action on the field. The youngster’s quick reaction ensured that the confusion lasted only a few seconds. As soon as the National Anthem started, he stopped applauding and stood attentively with the rest of the Indian team. The unusual sequence was picked up by the broadcast cameras and quickly became one of the talking points from the pre-match ceremony.
