Dil Se Jaan Laga De

"Dil Se Jaan Laga De"
Anthem cover
Promotional single by Ali Zafar
LanguageUrdu
ReleasedJanuary 2018 (2018-01)
Recorded2017
StudioLightingale
GenreStadium anthem
Length
  • 3:26 (audio)
  • 3:24 (music video)
Label
SongwriterAli Zafar
ProducerShani Arshad
Pakistan Super League anthems chronology
"Ab Khel Jamay Ga"
(2017)		 "Dil Se Jaan Laga De"
(2018)		 "Khel Deewano Ka"
(2019)

"Dil Se Jaan Laga De" (Urdu: دل سے جان لگا دے, lit. 'Put your heart in it') is a 2018 song, written and performed by Ali Zafar and released by HBL Pakistan. It served as the official anthem of the third season of the Pakistan Super League.

Zafar collaborated with the PSL for the third consecutive time. The anthem's music video, featuring a number of players from the Pakistan cricket team, was released on the same day when the team topped the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.

Background and release

Zafar hinted at the new song for the league through a tweet on 18 December 2017, when the previous PSL anthem, "Ab Khel Jamay Ga", reached 6 million views on YouTube.[1] The anthem was officially announced by a promotion hashtag #DilSeJaanLagaDe on 28 December.[2][3]

Zafar in 2019

Zafar showed his excitement to perform the "PSL's official anthem for the third time" and felt "fortunate to live" the life of "cricket and music", though also expressed a challenge to surpass the reception of "last year's anthem".[4] Upon sharing his personal thought process of song creativity, he called "Ab Khel Ke Dikha" as "introductory", "Ab Khel Jamay Ga" as "a dream", and this song a "celebration" that a "dream has been achieved".[5] According to Maheen Sabeeh of The News, the anthem lyrically represents the moments during the game and the memories long after, while the pop fused music features electro influences.[6]

The video shoot was confirmed by Junaid Khan on 22 December.[7] Other players in the music video include Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Fakhar Zaman, Umar Amin, Babar Azam, Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Faheem Ashraf, Amad Butt, Ramiz Raja, Shoaib Malik, and Ahmad Shahzad.[8][9][10]

The anthem was released on 28 January 2018 by HBL Pakistan,[11] the same day when Pakistani cricket team was ranked at top position in ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings.[12] Zafar then also performed at the opening ceremony on 22 February in the Dubai International Stadium, and at the closing ceremony on 25 March in the National Stadium, Karachi.[13][14]

Reception and legacy

Dawn Images called its melody to be inspired by Coldplay, and said, "another tune we think we're going to have on repeat".[8] The Express Tribune referred Zafar and his anthems as "voice and soul" of the league respectively.[9] Asfia Afzal of Business Recorder said that the anthem "delves into the nostalgia" and "reminisces" in the national "cricket glory".[15] Geo News criticized the absence of then national cricket team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed from the video.[16] Darakhshan Anjum of RS-Tech said that "It seems that" Zafar "has begun this" anthem "from where he left the last one", as it has "left the public mesmerized."[10] Maheen Sabeeh of The News International said that it has "a big, incredibly catchy sing-along chorus" and most impressive thing is that it "doesn't encourage aggression".[6]

Later in 2024, Zafar returned to the PSL and performed this anthem at the opening ceremony as well, along with his two previous anthems.[17] Journalist Arfa Feroz noted that these three were the "best PSL songs" in the legacy.[18] 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".[19] In 2026, Ali A. Rizvi of The Jungle Today called it a "fine" anthem, which is "perfectly competent" with "recycled" energy but "thoroughly forgettable".[20]

See also

External media
Audio
audio icon Audio on SoundCloud
Video
video icon Music video on YouTube
video icon Opening ceremony performance on YouTube

References

  1. ↑ Ali Zafar [@AliZafarsays] (18 December 2017). "Time for next one?" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2017 – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Pakistan Super League [@thePSLt20] (28 December 2017). "The #HBLPSL 2018 promises to be super exciting, Are you ready? Do you get the hint? #DilSeJaanLagaDe" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Ali Zafar [@AliZafarsays] (28 December 2017). "#DilSeJaanLagaDe #ComingSoon" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Ali Zafar strikes hat-trick with PSL anthem". The Nation. 29 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  5. ↑ Pakistan Super League [@thePSLt20] (29 December 2017). "Superstar @AliZafarsays takes us through the #HBLPSL anthems' journey, the third edition is set to be another blockbuster. Here we go! #DilSeJaanLagaDe" (Tweet). Retweeted by Ali Zafar. Retrieved 4 January 2017 – via Twitter.
  6. 1 2 Maheen Sabeeh (31 January 2018). "Ali Zafar's 'Dil Se Jaan Laga De' is about the spirit of celebration". The News. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  7. ↑ Junaid Khan [@JunaidkhanREAL] (22 December 2017). "Enjoyed last night with one of my favourite actors @AliZafarsays at the #HBLPSL anthem shooting" (Tweet). Retweeted by Ali Zafar. Retrieved 23 December 2017 – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 "Ali Zafar's PSL 2018 anthem is finally out". DAWN Images. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Ali Zafar releases new anthem for PSL 3". The Express Tribune. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 Darakhshan Anjum (29 January 2018). "PSL Official Anthem Released". RS-Tech. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Ali Zafar [@AliZafarsays] (26 January 2018). "#DilSeJaanLagaDe. 28th Jan. Tayyaar ho jao phir se" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 January 2018 – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ "Pakistan on top of the T20 world". Cricket Australia. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "PSL3 opening ceremony concludes with lights, colours and Abida Parveen's magic". Geo News. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "IN PICTURES: PSL brings colours of cricket back to Karachi". Geo News. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Official song of Pakistan Super League 3 released". Geo News. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ @ArfaSays_ (14 February 2024). "The legacy of PSL anthems by Ali Zafar" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ 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.
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