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‘What a Waste’: Anirudh Ravichander SLAMMED as T20 World Cup 2026 Anthem Fails to Impress Fans

Sanjeev Kumar | January 31, 2026 5:22 AM CST

ICC released the T20 World Cup 2026 anthem ‘Feel the Thrill’ by Anirudh Ravichander, but fans slammed it on social media for lacking energy and emotion. The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will feature 20 teams fighting for the title.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially released the anthem of the T20 World Cup 2026, composed by popular music director Anirudh Ravichander. The marquee event will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, beginning on February 27.

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A total of 20 teams will vie for the prestigious title, with Team India entering the tournament as the defending champions, having won the title back in 2024, defeating South Africa in the final at Barbados. Italy is set to make its debut in an ICC tournament, while the USA, Canada, Scotland, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Zimbabwe, and UAE are returning to the tournament after previous appearances.

The top eight teams from the T20 World Cup 2024 earned direct qualification to the upcoming edition of the tournament, while the other four teams, including Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Scotland, qualified based on their Men’s T20I Rankings. The remaining eight teams qualified through the qualifiers.

‘Feel the Thrill’

Just eight days before the commencement of the T20 World Cup 2026, the ICC officially dropped the official anthem of the tournament. The title of the song is ‘Feel the Thrill’, which was released worldwide on Friday, January 30.

The music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, who is known for his work in the Indian film industry, particularly Tamil and Telugu cinema, and was the music composer for Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan. The T20 World Cup 2026 anthem was sung by Anirudh himself, while the lyrics were written by Heisenberg for English and Raqueeb Alam.

The video of the anthem shows energetic visuals scattering scenes of passionate cricket fans, dynamic match action, and iconic moments from the past T20 World Cups, reflecting the global spirit, intensity, and excitement around the marquee event.

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Every ICC tournament has its own anthems, designed to build anticipation and connect fans worldwide. The title of the song for the last T20 World Cup was titled ‘Out of This World’, performed by Grammy-winning Sean Paul and soca star Kes, as the marquee event took place in the West Indies and the USA.

T20 World Cup 2026 Anthem Fails to Impress Fans

The International Cricket Council officially released the T20 World Cup anthem, composed and sung by Anirudh Ravichander, with much anticipation and hype. However, the song failed to strike a chord with cricket enthusiasts, who were left unimpressed by the overall composition.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts vented their frustration, slamming the anthem as ‘waste’ and ‘worst song ever’, while criticising its lack of energy, emotion, and essence of the World Cup, with many saying it failed to evoke unity, nostalgia or the fighting spirit expected from a global ICC tournament anthem.

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The T20 World Cup 2026 will kick off with Pakistan taking on the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo, followed by West Indies locking horns with Scotland at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, before the defending champions, Team India, take on the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the opening day of the tournament on February 7.

The upcoming edition of the marquee event is expected to attract massive global attention, with fans eagerly anticipating high-voltage clashes, packed stadiums, and another thrilling chapter of the T20 World Cup 2026.