
Atif Aslam's ICC Champions Trophy anthem packs a punch
It is time for cricket fans and music fans to come together and rejoice in unison: Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke, the official anthem for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, has been released, with none other than Pakistan's very own pitch-perfect belter Atif Aslam lending his powerhouse vocals to keep your feet tapping.
Performed by Aslam, produced by Abdullah Siddiqui and co-written by Adnan Dhool and Asfanyar Asad, Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke is the perfect high-octane track worthy of the return of the Champions Trophy to Pakistan after a gap of eight years.
High-energy vocals and visuals
The video features Aslam and a horde of what we can only assume are cricket aficionados dancing along the streets, mimicking the nation's love affair with the sport, be it on the streets or in the stadium. Aslam's accompanying dancers hold aloft a set of flags representing each of the nations participating in the Champions Trophy, symbolising the unifying power of both sport and music. With never a dull moment, segments of the song dip into a video game-like simulation as would-be players (men and women alike) select a bat of their choice.
This celebratory dance number may be set in a minor key, but it is powered by an upbeat tempo that defies you to sit still and fuels the excitement and adrenaline only an upcoming cricket tournament can bring. Whatever the outcome of the tournament, both music and cricket fans can at least jive along to a new anthem to keep the mood upbeat should a tense cricket match begin to slip into the jaws of defeat.
The fast-paced lyrics may spitfire past you on the first listen, but no one will be able to deny that Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke is an electrifying homage to cricket. In under two minutes, we have received the message loud and clear: cricket is in our blood, it is to be revered, and most important of all, it is coming back.
What the fans are saying
Whether Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke will slip into the hallowed halls of immortal cricket songs and dethrone Dil Dil Pakistan is debatable, but the fusion of pop and pounding traditional beats alongside Aslam's soaring voice makes the song irresistible to listen to – and fans in the comments section agree.
"Probably the best ICC Champions Trophy song," wrote one fan, having been won over by the banger. Yet another fan commented, "What a song. Epic! Atif is always giving his best! Loved it. Perfect song for the perfect occasion."
Taking note of the appearance of flags in the video, one commenter penned their thoughts on Aslam's ability to foster cross-border relations. "Atif Aslam is the bridge between borders," penned the user, adding three emojis for the Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi flags.
What sets the track apart is its very existence, since previous Champions Trophy tournaments did not feature an official anthem. However, with Aslam on board in this tightly knitted number, the upcoming tournament will have the benefit of music-fuelled adrenaline even if the sporting fixtures themselves fail to live up to expectations.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to start on February 19, beginning with a Pakistan-New Zealand clash. The tournament will see the top eight One Day International teams competing, with matches set to take place in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Dubai.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
13 hours ago
- Business Recorder
South Africa bowl against Australia in WTC final
LONDON: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and put Australia in to bat in the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Wednesday. The overcast conditions in London promised to help South Africa's quicks, with reigning champions Australia also boasting an impressive pace attack. Australia's Marnus Labuschagne will be thrust straight into the action after being promoted to open for the first time in his Test career. 'We'll have a bowl first,' said Bavuma at the toss. 'The surface looks a good one, with solid overhead conditions. Australia's Hazlewood returns for WTC final against South Africa 'I'm happy. It's too late now for anything else. We've selected the best team for the conditions.' 'It's (a) massive (occasion). I think all of us have some sort of allegiance to Lord's. It should be a spectacle of a game.' Australia captain Pat Cummins said his side were happy to bat first. 'There's a few clouds but that's not unusual for England,' he said. 'It's dry and might turn later in the match. 'I don't think there's any extra pressure (as defending champions). We've been here before and won it. This week is about enjoying it.' Both sides named their teams on Tuesday. All-rounder Beau Webster keeps his place at number six in the Australia team and the experienced Josh Hazlewood has been preferred to Scott Boland in the pace attack. South Africa named all-rounder Wiaan Mulder at number three and selected Lungi Ngidi ahead of Dane Paterson, even though his fellow paceman knows conditions at Lord's well after playing there for Middlesex this season. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is playing his first Test after serving a one-month ban for cocaine use earlier this year. South Africa are aiming to win their first major trophy since lifting the ICC Knockout, a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, in 1998. The top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have won multiple white-ball trophies. Teams Australia: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wkt), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG) TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)


Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business Recorder
Buttler and Dawson shine as England beat West Indies in T20 opener
DURHAM: Former captain Jos Buttler scored a superb 96 off 59 balls, and Liam Dawson took four wickets on his international return, as England beat West Indies by 21 runs in the T20 series opener at Durham's Riverside ground on Friday. After making a 3-0 winning start to Harry Brook's captaincy in the one-dayers, England kept the momentum in the shorter format with an innings of 188-6 after winning the toss and batting first. West Indies finished on 167-9, with Romario Shepherd caught on the final ball of the match. Buttler, in at number three with England 16-1 after Ben Duckett was caught by West Indies captain Shai Hope off Shepherd, brought up his half century from 25 balls in the eighth over. He had earlier smashed three sixes and scooped a four from the first four balls of a devastating sixth over with Alzarri Joseph bowling. The 34-year-old, who stepped down as white-ball captain last February following England's group-stage exit from the Champions Trophy, continued to look like a man relieved of a heavy burden as he hit six fours and four sixes. Needing just four for the century, he was out lbw to Joseph in the penultimate over. The tally was Buttler's highest T20 international score on home soil. West Indies were 33-2 off 5.2 overs after losing Johnson Charles for 18, stumped by Buttler off Dawson, and Hope caught by Duckett, who repaid his own dismissal in like-for-like fashion, for three off debutant Matthew Potts. England restricted the visitors to 44-2 at the end of the powerplay, compared to 78-1 at the same stage of the home innings. Evin Lewis hit West Indies top score of 39 off 23 balls, before being caught by Brydon Carse with Jacob Bethell bowling. Dawson, back in the side at 35 and playing his first England match since 2022, claimed his second and third wickets when Duckett caught Sherfane Rutherford (2) and Roston Chase (24) in quick succession. The left-arm spinner wrapped up with a fourth wicket, for 20 runs from his four overs, by bowling Rovman Powell as West Indies slipped to 115-6 on a tough night in the north-east. 'I feel really good. Really pleased to contribute to a really good win,' said Dawson after being declared player-of-the-match. 'When you get 190 on the board, you can go out there and simplify everything. You can bowl defensively and they've got to come to you. Tonight, it worked. 'It's been maybe three-and-a-half years since I played. I was nervous going into the game but I'm happy to contribute.' Phil Salt blasts England to T20 win over West Indies Hope said his side had not bowled as well as they had wanted to and needed also to perform better with the bat. 'We've got to put this behind us and we've got two games to win the series,' he said. The next T20 game in the three-match series is in Bristol on Sunday.


Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
Pak to make two changes for BD tour
The Pakistan team is expected to have two new additions for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series, which is likely to take place in July. According to reports, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi and spinner Sufiyan Muqeem are likely to return to the national side. Shaheen last featured in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in March this year, where his performance was below expectations — taking just two wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 10.23. Sufiyan, who also played in the same series, appeared in only one match but impressed with two wickets at a remarkable economy rate of just 3.00. Meanwhile, the door remains open for star batter Babar Azam regarding his inclusion in the national squad, as he has reportedly been assured of future opportunities. The preliminary schedule for Pakistan's T20I tour of Bangladesh has been finalised, with the team expected to arrive in Dhaka on July 18, sources confirmed on June 1. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has drafted the initial itinerary and shared it with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The T20I series will commence on July 20, followed by the second and third matches on July 22 and 24, respectively. All three matches are scheduled to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. This tour is not part of the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP). The series was arranged following discussions between senior officials of the PCB and BCB on the sidelines of the ICC Champions Trophy preparations, which Pakistan is set to host later this year. For context, Pakistan's white-ball team recently entered a new chapter under the leadership of Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach. The 50-year-old made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a 3-0 T20I series whitewash over Bangladesh - Pakistan's first home series victory since December 2021. Hesson holds in-depth discussion with Shaheen The second day of the national training camp in Lahore saw seven players participate in the Wednesday morning session, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Mehran Mumtaz, Khurram Shehzad, Haider Ali, Khawaja Nafi, and Ahmad Daniyal. Additional training also took place during the afternoon session, under the supervision of head coach Mike Hesson and the coaching staff specialising in bowling, batting, and fielding. According to sources, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi did not participate in ground drills. Having returned from abroad after the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Afridi arrived in Lahore on Wednesday morning, specifically to meet head coach Mike Hesson. The two held an in-depth discussion regarding future plans for the team. In a social media post, Mike Hesson expressed his satisfaction with the session at the National Cricket Academy, calling it an important opportunity for both coaches and players to familiarize themselves with one another. He shared images from the training session, emphasising its significance in building rapport within the squad. Babar Azam had attended the opening day of the camp, while Mohammad Rizwan will join on the final day. The three-day camp, involving 22 of Pakistan's top white-ball cricketers, commenced at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday. Players were divided into three groups, reporting to camp on June 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The first groupcomprising Babar Azam, Abbas Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Mirza, Shahid Aziz, and Usman Khantook part in various sessions on Tuesday under the guidance of the national team management, led by Hesson. According to sources, the PCB is using the camp to inform players about the team's future direction, while also assessing their fitness levels and recent performances. Furthermore, head coach Hesson is scheduled to meet with top-performing players individually to discuss the roadmap ahead for Pakistan's white-ball squad. Pakistan's white-ball team recently entered a new chapter under the leadership of Hesson, the former New Zealand coach. The 50-year-old made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a 3-0 T20I series whitewash against Bangladesh — Pakistan's first home series victory since December 2021. Following this series win, the team is expected to take a brief break before potentially returning to Bangladesh next month for another T20I series.