On Friday, January 30, 2026, the ICC officially unleashed “Feel the Thrill”, the high-octane anthem for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Composed and performed by the “Rockstar” of Indian music, Anirudh Ravichander, the track was designed to serve as the sonic heartbeat for the tournament hosted across India and Sri Lanka. However, despite the massive hype, the song has met with a polarized reception, with a vocal section of the fanbase taking to social media to troll the composer for missing the mark on the “World Cup vibe.”

‘Feel the Thrill’: Anirudh Ravichander’s T20 World Cup 2026 Anthem

The anthem features a global fusion sound, blending Anirudh’s signature electronic beats with high-energy verses that aim to capture the adrenaline of the shortest format. The track includes English lyrics penned by Heisenberg and Hindi verses by Raqueeb Alam, specifically crafted to resonate with a diverse international audience.

“This is where national pride swings with every shot / Where passion hits as hard as the ball” Key lyrics from “Feel the Thrill”

According to the ICC, the song mirrors the “Feel the Thrill” campaign, focusing on the raw emotion and intensity of 20 teams battling across 55 matches. Anirudh described the project as an attempt to “connect every heartbeat in the same tune” ahead of the fierce on-field rivalries set to unfold from February 7. Despite Anirudh’s track record of delivering massive cinematic hits like Hukum and Chaleya, “Feel the Thrill” has struggled to win over the traditional cricket audience. Fans have slammed the track as a “glorified club song” rather than a legendary sports anthem, with several criticisms surfacing.

Also READ: PAK vs AUS: Salman Ali Agha reveals Pakistan’s no 3 batter for T20 World Cup 2026

Here’s how fans reacted: 

Not catchy or emotionally manipulative, De Ghuma Ke perfectly captured the heartbeat of the subcontinent! https://t.co/FwLLeleGwh

— Pranav (@pranav_psingh) January 31, 2026

These 2 could have sung a better song than this piece of crap https://t.co/l5qN84M6Jn pic.twitter.com/dmcq109VKk

— Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) January 31, 2026

Anirudh saab I was familiar with your game, and this isn’t anywhere close to your game. https://t.co/bXAywlRONH

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) January 30, 2026

This doesn’t feel like a World Cup anthem at all.

No energy, no emotion, no build-up.
Sounds like random beats with Feel the Thrill pasted on top.
Expected much more from Anirudh, but this lacks rhythm and hype.

Feels like the worst anthem in years.

pic.twitter.com/UwvtcOaah5

— Arjun (@ArjunxTweets) January 30, 2026

Anirudh bhai completely crushed all my expectations just like my ex did with my expectations.

– Seriously when I heard Anirudh was going to sing I got really excited thinking there would be a great Tamil Hindi kind of song. But honestly it didn’t feel that special to me. https://t.co/WdVAsmih7K

— DarkIntelX (@DarkIntelX) January 30, 2026

Sorry Anirudh but I didn’t feel any “Thrill” in that T20 World Cup song. Expectations are very high from you and you are disappointed big time.

— Saksham (@suckssham) January 30, 2026

Anirudh Anna Bottled Rigged World Cup Anthem 💔🙂 https://t.co/ifpfs162Kz

— Junaid Khan (@JunaidKhanation) January 30, 2026

yeh kya kachra hai? Anirudh is actually a very good composer, I expected much better https://t.co/Bo3nUwAqjH

— yang goi (@GongR1ght) January 30, 2026

Offical Audio Song for the T20 World Cup 2026 by Anirudh Ravichander🧐

– Just added ‘Feel the Thrill’ with random music 😭

– My ears are literally bleeding after listening this😑

– What’s your take 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qyPNFu8gCF

— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) January 30, 2026

2021 World cup banger by Amit Trivedi ” Live the game ” was a banger and one of the best and Anirudh created this shit and bottled a chance to grow worldwide.

Amit Trivedi would be a banger again but BCCI. 😭🤡pic.twitter.com/KBdTX4cLo4 https://t.co/WwfrNbNRg6

— 🏖 (@tealover32681) January 30, 2026

Also READ: Ravi Shastri predicts two teams that can breach 300-run milestone in T20 World Cup 2026

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