Ab Khel Jamay Ga

"Ab Khel Jamay Ga"
Promotional single by Ali Zafar
LanguageUrdu
ReleasedJanuary 2017 (2017-01)
Recorded2016
StudioLightingale
GenreStadium anthem
Length
  • 3:09 (audio)
  • 3:21 (music video)
LabelHBL Pakistan
SongwriterAli Zafar
Pakistan Super League anthems chronology
"Ab Khel Ke Dikha"
(2016)		 "Ab Khel Jamay Ga"
(2017)		 "Dil Se Jaan Laga De"
(2018)

"Ab Khel Jamay Ga"[a] is a 2017 song, written and performed by Ali Zafar and released by HBL Pakistan. It served as the official anthem of the second season of the Pakistan Super League.

Zafar collaborated with the PSL for the second consecutive season. Also known as "Seeti Bajaygi",[b] the song is called by numerous publications over the years as the best PSL anthem and a fan-favourite since its release.

Background and release

In late-December 2016, it was announced that Ali Zafar was chosen again by the Pakistan Cricket Board to write, compose, and sing the anthem for PSL season II.[4][5] The tournament news was promoted by the hashtag #AbKhelJamayGa on social media accounts of the PSL.[6]

Zafar said that "it was just the beginning" at the time of "Ab Khel Ke Dikha" in 2016, but in 2017, it was "a bigger celebration", and further noted that the lyrics reflected the return of cricket in Pakistan.[4][7][8] The music features synth horns, anthemic drums, and a chorus for crowd.[9]

The song was initially released online on the new year's week, and the music video following on 29 January 2017.[c] Directed by Soheb Akhtar, it features Pakistani cricketers including Ramiz Raja, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, and Ahmad Shahzad.[10][11] In the video, Zafar performed push-ups with Misbah, an act which reportedly had become controversial for the latter in 2016.[12][13][14]

On 9 February, Zafar performed the song at the opening ceremony at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and he was surrounded by the dancers from Sharmila Dance Center in white tees and denim.[8][15] On 5 March, he returned on public demand to perform the song again at the closing ceremony prior to the 2017 Pakistan Super League final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, despite initially refusing due to his prior scheduling commitments for filming Teefa in Trouble, and he was surrounded by the dancers in local traditional outfit.[7][16] Andy Bull of The Guardian called the match as "the first step on a long, difficult but welcome road back to cricket in Pakistan", since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team.[17]

Reception and legacy

Zafar performed the song at the Expo 2020 in Dubai.[18]

Annam Lodhi of Pakistan Today reviewed that the "music is fast with certain signature steps and blood pumping lyrics", and reported that a poll found that this was "the most popular" PSL anthem among "its listeners" that year.[19] For The News, Maheen Sabeeh called the anthem as "the best of the lot",[10] and Manal Faheem Khan wrote that the anthem had been "on everyone's mind since it first came out" and Zafar "shook the stadium with his powerful performance" at the opening ceremony.[8] However, another reviewer from The News noted that the song may not be the memorable but the video essence is relatable to the Pakistani people.[14] Gul Bukhari wrote in The Nation that "the frenzy" of the crowd over the anthem was "nothing less than enchanting" during the final match.[20]

In 2018, Zohaib Ahmed Majeed wrote in Dawn that Zafar had "conjured up an even better anthem" as compared to his previous one.[21] Asfia Afzal of Business Recorder called it a "hit" and "one of Pakistan's most heard songs of 2017".[22] In 2019, journalist Zainab Abbas used the song for her entrance on the wedding music.[3][23] In 2021, Rafay Mahmood wrote in The Express Tribune that "one might argue" that the anthem "had all the filmi elements" to "cook up a family-friendly entertainment".[1] In 2024, Manahil Tahira of The Express Tribune and Asad Ahmed of Urdu News respectively called it as "the hit 2017 entry" and the identity of the PSL, and further noted in their reviews that some other anthems had failed to generate hype afterwards.[9][24] Omair Alavi called it his favourite PSL anthem,[25] and Imran Siddique regarded it as the "best song of PSL history".[26]

In 2025, Ahmer Naqvi acknowledged in Dunya Digital that Zafar had the "most successful and popular PSL anthems" using "the power of the non-verbal chorus", however, called off his "repetition of words and themes".[27] The News noted it as "a key part of PSL festivities".[28] In 2026, Ali A. Rizvi of The Jungle Today noted it as the "undefeated" and "timeless" PSL anthem, and further called it "arguably the greatest cricket anthem Pakistan has ever produced".[29] Mishal Zarrar wrote in Synergyzer that it had the "trifecta"; a "contagious hook", a "chant-ready chorus", and a "street-level simplicity"; thus becoming the "benchmark" which "later anthems tried to recreate but rarely matched".[30]

Zafar also used to perform the song during his concerts in subsequent years.[18][2][31] In 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023, online polls were conducted by the journalists like Arfa Feroz, Faizan Lakhani, Mahwash Ajaz, and Zainab Sabir Mir, to choose the "best" PSL anthem, and "Ab Khel Jamay Ga" received the most votes each time respectively.[32][33][34][35] Zainab Sabir Mir concluded the fans reception in a review on Geo News by calling it an "OG PSL anthem" and an "unofficial tune of cricket in Pakistan".[35] Later in 2024, Zafar returned to the PSL and performed this anthem at the opening ceremony as well, along with his "Ab Khel Ke Dikha" and "Dil Se Jaan Laga De".[36] Arfa Feroz noted that these three were the "best PSL songs" in the legacy.[37]

See also

External media
Audio
audio icon Audio on YouTube
Video
video icon Music Video on YouTube
video icon Opening ceremony performance on YouTube
video icon Behind the scenes on YouTube

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Urdu: اب کھیل جمے گا, lit. 'Now the Game will be Stronger'
  2. ↑ Urdu: سیٹی بجے گی, lit. 'The whistle will blow'[1][2][3]
  3. ↑ Fact obtained from the PSL and HBL's social media

References

  1. 1 2 Rafay Mahmood (20 February 2024). "Peshawar Zalmi drops the coolest anthem of PSL history". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 ARY Digital HD (6 January 2022). Phir Seeti Bajegi - All Time Favorite #PSLSONG - Ali Zafar (video). Archived from the original on 20 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "Zainab Abbas makes Shendi entry on PSL anthem". Geo News. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 Rahul Aijaz (31 December 2016). "It's an honour to compose PSL anthem again: Ali Zafar". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ali Zafar's PSL 2017 anthem is out now". Dawn Images. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "#AbKhelJamayGa: Ali Zafar releases official anthem for PSL 2017". Geo News. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 Rafay Mahmood (4 March 2017). "Ali Zafar to perform for free at PSL closing ceremony". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 Manal Faheem Khan (11 February 2017). "PSL'17 takes off on a star-studded flight". The News. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 Manahil Tahira (15 February 2024). "'Khul Ke Khel': Is good old 'naach gaana' the homeground of PSL anthems?". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  10. 1 2 Maheen Sabeeh (9 February 2017). "In focus: The Pakistan Super League 2 soundtrack". The News International. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "On our radar". The Express Tribune. 12 February 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Abdul Ghaffar (29 October 2016). "Misbah defends celebratory push-ups: 'They were a tribute to the army'". Dawn. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Saira Agha (1 November 2018). "Ali Zafar and Misbah in push-up contest". Gulf News. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Ali Zafar launches PSL anthem 'Ab Khel Jamay Ga'". The News. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "7 moments from the PSL opening ceremony that caught our attention". Dawn Images. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "PSL 2017 final showdown: 'Will not bow our heads before anyone,' says Sethi at ceremony". Dawn. 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Andy Bull (7 March 2017). "The first step on a long, difficult but welcome road back to cricket in Pakistan". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 ARY Zap (21 January 2022). Ali Zafar - Live Performance - Expo 2020 - Pakistan Pavilion (video). Event occurs at 01:20:40. Retrieved 28 May 2026 – via Dailymotion.
  19. ↑ Annam Lodhi (5 March 2017). "PSL music has a deadline too". Pakistan Today. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  20. ↑ Gul Bukhari (7 March 2017). "Travel to Joy". The Nation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Zohaib Ahmed Majeed (26 February 2018). "PSL recap: The crests and troughs of Pakistan's beloved T20 league". Dawn. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  22. ↑ Asfia Afzal (29 January 2018). "Watch: Ali Zafar recreates magic in PSL 3 anthem". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  23. ↑ DawnNews (1 December 2019). Zainab Abbas ki apni shadi mein munfariq entry ki video viral (video). Archived from the original on 7 July 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via YouTube.
  24. ↑ اسد احمد (14 February 2024). "پی ایس ایل 9: 'سیٹی بجے گی، سٹیج سجے گا، کھیل جمے گا'" [PSL9: 'The whistle will blow, the stage will be set, and the game will come alive']. Urdu News (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ @omair78 (14 February 2024). "MELA LOOT LIA was outstanding. It is still my second favorite PSL anthem after KHEL JAMAY GA" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  26. ↑ Azhar Khan (17 February 2024). "Electric atmosphere at Gaddafi Stadium as PSL 9 opening ceremony wows cricket fans". The Nation. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Ahmer Naqvi (27 March 2025). "Pakistan's Cricket Anthems: A Love Song by Another Name (Part 2)". Dunya Digital. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "So, you think you know: Pakistani cricket anthems". The News. 23 February 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  29. ↑ Ali A. Rizvi (3 April 2026). "Eleven Years of PSL Anthems: The Good, The Bad, and The Unforgivably Mediocre". The Jungle Today. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  30. ↑ Mishal Zarrar (23 April 2026). "Seeti, Sound, and Spectacle: The Business of Emotion Behind PSL Anthems". Synergyzer. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Kamran Tessori (11 August 2025). Ab Khel Jamay Ga! Governor Kamran Tessori Aur Ali Zafar Ki Shandar Entry Ne Mahfil Loota (video). Archived from the original on 20 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  32. ↑ @ArfaSays_ (18 January 2019). "Which #HBLPSL anthem is the best till date?" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ @faizanlakhani (7 November 2010). "The best PSL anthem ever?" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via Twitter.
  34. ↑ @mahwashajaz_ (6 February 2021). "Best #PSL anthem to date?" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via Twitter.
  35. 1 2 Zainab Sabir Mir (14 February 2023). "Which PSL anthem do fans like best?". Geo News. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  36. ↑ "پی ایس ایل 9 کی افتتاحی تقریب میں علی ظفر کی دھوم" (in Urdu). Express News. 18 February 2024. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  37. ↑ @ArfaSays_ (14 February 2024). "The legacy of PSL anthems by Ali Zafar" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
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