The Role Of Music In The Cricket World Cup'19

Cricket matches are less of shootout battles and more of wars fraught with many strategies and gambits. We, as fans, are inundated with scores of memorable knocks and precise deliveries during the course of a World Cup. Now, while we may not remember every one of the great performances we witnessed during a World Cup, some songs transcend time and are eternally evergreen. Even in this edition of the Cricket World Cup, Cricket is being celebrated with full enthusiasm by Indian music artistes including Shaan, Benny Dayal, Daler Mehndi, DIVINE, Meet Bros, SANAM and Arvind Vegda, who have come up with anthems to cheer for Team India, which has now reached the semi-finals in the tournament. Brands are not too far behind, with their ads paired with anthems like Uber, Bingo, Red.FM, Puma, Oppo and 9X. Music resonates with us on a deep level and played rightly; it amplifies the content it supports. With CWC's ravaging viewership, it's intriguing to see how music is playing a crucial role in maintaining the craze about cricket in the country and helps in generating huge revenue for the artists.

The Classic - Come On India! by Shankar Mahadevan x Wills

It was less of a happy jingle and more of a battle ballad. This video starts with the Indian spectators leaving their seats in a distraught manner until one man jumps on the fence and roars "Come on India!" Then, Shankar Mahadevan walks down the stairs and rallies the crowd behind him while belting out a tune which would resonate for years to come. Had mobile cameras and selfies been a thing back in 1999, Facebook would have seen several pictures of youth leaping on fences and yelling 'Come on India!'

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghs7-7fiy48[/embedyt]

Here's something to replay over and over again, showing some legends of Indian cricket in their youth. This was one catchy tune which lent a booming bass to the 'Come on India!' cheer.

The Rendition of The Classic Cricket Song - Come on India! by Shaan x Bingo

This is less of an anthem as much as it is focusing on the product by Bingo, but it is hard to miss with Shaan's mesmerising voice catching your attention at this take of the original Come on India!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FelwZ3KJNQ[/embedyt]

The video captures the emotions of the cricket fanatics who are cheering their team through their matches!

The Heartbeat Song - Jeet Pe Apna Haq Hai by Meet Bros x Oppo

This is energetic track by Meet bros might have rolled out a tad late, but they made it just in time for India vs Pakistan match that garners over a 1billion viewership making it equivalent to 30 NFL Super Bowls!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT8Qrw4s2fw[/embedyt]

The track starts off with a heartbeat and speaks to the arrogance of the Indian Cricket Team as they win their matches with absolute dominance. Meet Brothers who have been known for their quirky, energetic tracks in the Industry have really captured the essence in their track.

Gaad De Jhande Hindustan - Divya Kumar, Rap - Agsy x Red.FM

Another beautiful track by Divya Kumar and Agsy, screaming for India to establish their dominance over the cricket field, this track appeals to youngsters and features the hip-hop culture a little be engaging in Be-Boeing and Grafitti work all over India.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLK8M9zJgOg[/embedyt]

India's Largest Fan - Benny Dayal x Royal Stag

Even the liquor company Pernod Ricard got their brand Royal Stag rake in on the Cricket fever with their version of the CWC'19 Anthem thanks to Benny Dayal. This track screams banger thanks to the production that features the Shehnai and calls out to the fans to move to its tune!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RajZujWe7o[/embedyt]

Gully Anthem #SockThem - DIVINE x Puma

The Hip-Hop Culture that is growing in India cannot be left behind, and definitely can't ignore the meteoric rise of DIVINE. Thanks to Puma, he too has joined the batton and leads it with his pulsating track - 'Sock Them'. Showcasing Be-Boeing, Sneakers with India's Captain chiming in to talk with his bat, all leads up to an everlasting memory of the catchy track that is surely going to be on repeat!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KBE8iRTg8Y[/embedyt]

Wrapping Up

Music and Sports have an interesting association, something that has been even more prevalent with the IPL. A country where Star Sports Hindi is second to only Dangal TV (With 763 million impressions, it was only slightly behind Dangal’s 806 million), it is important to understand that music has always helped in uniting and creating a culture for the sport, so the teams can connect with their fans better. Well, the match between India vs New Zealand is still in progress, but in the meantime, you can decide which anthem you want to pick up for the CWC'19 and cheer India across the tournament!