Hanumankind performing at Colombo [Source: X]The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been an event of heartstoppers, and on February 15, the eve of the mega India vs Pakistan clash, it was the time for a showstopper. Hanumankind, aka Sooraj Cherukat, is an Indian rapper, singer, and songwriter who performed at the special pre-match event at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. For the unaware, Hanumankind is known for his very popular Dhurandhar movie Title track. It was a controversial decision on the side of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council since, the movie was banned in many countries because of its anti-Pakistani and anti-Islam sentiments.However, a whirl of rumour surrounded the fact that Hanumankind will be performing the title track at the neutral venue of the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026. The sentiment of promoting hostility was not taken calmly by the netizens. Who is Hanumankind Who Performed At The IND vs PAK Match?Hanumankind, known for mixing Southern hip-hop sounds with Indian roots had his big Bollywood break with the Dhurandhar movie title track rap. He was born in Malappuram, Kerala, and grew up in many countries, including Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, Italy, and the United States. He later returned to India and is now based in Bengaluru. Before starting music full time, he worked at Goldman Sachs and also as a personal trainer. He began gaining attention after performing at NH7 Weekender in 2018 and releasing his debut EP Kalari in 2019. Hanumankind became a global name in 2024 with his viral hit “Big Dawgs,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song’s video, shot in a “Well of Death” in Kerala, drew worldwide praise. Signed to Def Jam India/Universal, he is known for powerful lyrics, high-energy performances live and that’s what stunned the spectators of the ceremony on February 15. Why Netizens Slammed Hanumankind’s Performance? There were multiple reasons why netizens took a dig at Hanumankind's performance at the T20 World Cup 2026 India vs Pakistan match. Firstly, there were some technical and quality issues that interrupted Hanumankind's performance during the event. Arman Singh Rajput :) @IamArman45 An electrifying performance from Hanumankind in Colombo to set the tone for #INDvPAK. Feb 15, 2026, 6:27 PM While the quality of the broadcast was questioned and heavily criticised, netizens were also furious about the alleged role of the BCCI, as Hanumankind was invited to perform the Dhurandhar movie title track that speaks about the India vs Pakistan geopolitical clash as portrayed in the film. Notably, the song was not executed in the final run.Some took another angle, claiming that the Jay Shah's ICC dances to the tunes of the BCCI, since no other matches had such a special arrangement ahead of this India vs Pakistan clash. A few even called out India's hypocrisy for not shaking hands with Pakistan while arranging such a mega event before the match to entertain Pakistan's importance.Let's take a look at how netizens reacted to Hanumankind's performance: BWICKET @BWicket45 @kushansarkar BCCI unnecessarily invited Hanumankind to perform. It would’ve been better if they had organized some exciting adventure activity on the cricket ground instead. Harsha @RRRamCharanfan Why the f Match against minnows porkistan doesn’t deserve this hype and attention We are way bigger and our best rapper hanumankind performance for some random match🙄 Deepesh Gupta @iamthatwanderer It’s not an opening match nor the final match, but still there is a performance by Hanumankind happening. This is a mockery of a tournament by broadcasters and organisers! Have some shame guys! This needs to stop! Please let sport be sport @ICC @StarSportsIndia @BCCI Zaffry Ikram @TheBeardBro An artist linked to 🇮🇳 performs before #INDvsPAK at an ICC event — and we’re still pretending the @ICC isn’t dancing to the BCCI’s tune? Cricket is global. But power? That’s concentrated. #Cricket #INDvPAK #ICCT20WORLDCUP #HanumanKind Rahul Ojha @RahulOjha Cringe happening at Premadasa. We don’t want to shake hands with Pak players but we want to elevate the spectacle by playing Hanumankind / Dhurandhar songs on the field. What do you really want @BCCI ? 🤷🏻♂️ DΩGΔ @BharatPratham_ Sometimes it feels like Pakis r right .. its the @BCCI who begs to PCB for matches.. else why Hanumankind or any other special event is planned for these beggars match. All these antics give confidence to people like Naqvi to arm twist... shameful @JayShah Aakash Srivastava @AakashS62351162 @Dravidict Ye handshake wala behaviour to such me bahut hi jyada childish hai , kya time pass hai ...khelna bhi hai, indian stars jaise hanumankind ko bula ke perform bhi krana hai par handshake nhi Krna ...match khelo hi mat isse acha to ...this is really pathetic from bcci and govt Reynolds @Allison_Reyonds Drag sanju Manju I don't care but bro why tf hanumankind is performing. @BCCI shameless piece of sh#t CricFlix @PRAVIN0070 🚨 BREAKING 🚨 BCCI AND ICC has Organized Hanumankind Performance 🔥 Dhurandhar🔥 a film banned in Pakistan, before the India vs Pakistan match today, right in front of PAKISTAN TEAM & Mohsin Naqvi 😂 Feb 15, 2026, 3:51 PM i have some rice cooking & some dal heating up @doug_1399 I am EXTREMELY mad that BCCI are wasting someone named Hanumankind on India-Pak. Ind-SL would have been the ideal game for him 😖 Ankit @Nostalgic547 @DecodeCIVILS I don't wish @BCCI to win. Hope they lose. They hv audacity to organise Hanumankind show for the game. Even invertebrates have more spine than them. vipin @djfrankkie ye kaisa dull performance tha hanumankind isse acha wig lagwake ishan kishan se rap karwa dete Farhan hussain @farhansiddiqui5 #Dhurandhar ke gaaane #HanumanKind ne kyon nahi gaaye ? #INDvsPAK Ankit Bansal @Ankit_bansal4 One of the worst opening performances for a cricketing event. ThumsUp with a better presence and more screen time than the actual artist, Hanumankind, who is only lip syncing. No real interest from the crowd and horrible audio experience on @JioHotstar. #INDvsPAK #T20WorldCup 🍁 @im_v_singh Hanumankind disappointed The Performance Of HanumankindHanumankind started with a charged-up performance, entering on a quad bike with his energetic rap song “Big Dawgs,” followed by “Run It Up,” the title track from his album, and ending with a rap song he wrote for Thumbs Up, the official sponsor of the event. While the packed stadium enjoyed the electrifying performance with spectacular dance visuals in the background, the internet was not impressed. Apart from the broadcast quality issues, many criticised the lag in audio-video sync and described the performance as dull. Nevertheless, after the performance ended, it was time for the toss and the all-important clash that the nation had been waiting for almost two months since the T20 World Cup schedule was announced.
