Khelenge Beat Pe

"Khelenge Beat Pe"
Anthem cover
Promotional single by various artists
LanguageEnglish
Urdu
Punjabi
Released24 March 2026 (2026-03-24)
Recorded2026
StudioAttic
GenreStadium anthem
Length3:13
LabelPepsi Pakistan
ComposersNimra Gillani
Shamsher Rana
LyricistsNimra Gillani
Daniya Kanwal
ProducerShamsher Rana
Pakistan Super League anthems chronology
"X Dekho"
(2025)		 "Khelenge Beat Pe"
(2026)
Music Video
Directed byZeeshan Parwez
CinematographySalar Yousufzai
Edited byZeeshan Parwez
Production
company
Epic Pictures
Release date
  • 2026 (2026)
Running time
3:23

"Khelenge Beat Pe" (Urdu: کھیلیں گے بیٹ پہ, lit. 'Will Play on the Beat') is a 2026 song, produced by Pepsi Pakistan, and performed by Atif Aslam, Aima Baig, the Sabri Sisters, and Daniya Kanwal, with Nimra Gillani and Shamsher Rana credited as secondary artists. It served as the official anthem of the eleventh season of the Pakistan Super League.

Background and release

In January 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) invited bids for the eleventh season of Pakistan Super League (PSL), and marketed the event as a "new era". With the addition of two new franchises, the league featured eight teams for the first time; the squads were formed via player auction, replacing the draft method used in the previous ten seasons. Also, the league was played under a revised game format.[a]

On 22 February, Aima Baig addressed rumours on her Instagram handle by confirming that she was collaborating with Atif Aslam for the PSL official anthem.[7] Days later, on 18 March, CEO PSL, Salman Naseer, signed a three-year MoU with senior marketing director Pepsi Pakistan, Hakima Mirza, for Pepsi to be an entertainment partner in PSL. During the signing ceremony, they announced that Atif Aslam would be performing the anthem.[8][9] Soon after, the anthem title along with the names of the collaborating singers were also revealed by PSL via their social media.[10] This was Aslam's second and Baig's fourth PSL anthem, and the debuting artists included sufi-music duo Sabri Sisters (Saman and Anamta Sabri, nieces of Amjad Sabri[11]) and rapper Daniya Kanwal.[12]

Out of all the singers, only Baig had previously performed in multiple PSL ceremonies in different stadiums over the years, while Aslam was only featured in a pre-recorded ceremony in 2021 and a low-scale curtain raiser in 2022 due to then COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. The two had previously also collaborated for the #HBLPSL7 anthem "Agay Dekh".[b]

In 2026, however, the league was temporarily scaled down due to economic impact of the 2026 Iran war. On-field spectators were not allowed and the opening ceremony was also scrapped; instead, a watch-from-home model was introduced.[22][23]

On 24 March, chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi hosted a gathering event for welcoming the international players, where many national players and the political figures were also present. The anthem was released during the event.[24][25]

Reception

In a review, Dawn Images preferred calling it a "high-energy, dance-first track" on a "more familiar route", instead of going on "nostalgia".[26] 24 Digital praised each singer and the music video production, particularly highlighting the use of CGI and street moments of playing cricket and riding a bike.[27] Ali A. Rizvi of The Jungle Today noted its "familiar problems" while comparing it with other PSL anthems, including its "baffling relationship with rap", and Aima Baig's repeated "institutional memory".[28] According to the 24 Digital, World Echo News, and Ali A. Rizvi, the anthem received mixed reception by the fans on social media.[27][29][28]

On Twitter, sports journalists including Abdul Ghaffar called it "very energetic" and "visually mastered",[30] Abdul Majid Bhatti called it a "blockbuster",[31] and Qadir Khawaja called it overall enjoyable.[32] However, Amer Malik called it only a "Pepsi commercial" with nothing "catchy" or "special",[33] and Ahmer Najeeb Satti rated out of 10; the anthem as 3 while its visuals as 9.[34]

Closing ceremony

On 3 May, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore hosted a closing ceremony before the 2026 Pakistan Super League final match. The ceremony featured the PSL trophy, Infinity, which was presented by a female gymnast during her flight on an air balloon. Musical performances included Ali Azmat and Arif Lohar, followed by the PSL anthem "Khelenge Beat Pe" performance by Aslam, Baig, Kanwal, and Sabri Sisters, taking the stage. The ceremony concluded with a fireworks display. Since the gates for the stadium were opened, the event had reportedly 32,461 in-house spectators, which is claimed to be the most attended PSL event ever.[c]

See also

External media
Audio
audio icon Full audio on YouTube
Video
video icon Music video on YouTube
video icon Closing ceremony performance on YouTube

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Pieces of information are gathered from Geo News,[1][2][3] Dawn,[4] The News,[5] and A Sports.[6]
  2. ↑ Attributed to different sources from 2018,[13] 2019,[14][15][16] 2021,[17] 2022,[18][19] 2023,[20] and 2024.[21]
  3. ↑ Pieces of information are gathered from The Nation,[35] The News,[36] Geo News,[37] and Hum News.[38]

References

  1. ↑ Syed Yahya Hussaini (16 December 2025). "PSL 11 to be played under 'new format'". Geo News. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Sohail Imran (14 January 2026). "PCB invites bids for Multan Sultans franchise ahead of PSL 11". Geo News. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Sohail Imran (16 March 2026). "PSL 11 tickets to go on sale online from Tuesday as pricing structure unveiled". Geo News. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  4. ↑ Muhammad Abu Bakar Farooq (25 January 2026). "Cricket: PSL's Brand New Era". Dawn. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  5. ↑ Abdul Mohi Shah (9 January 2026). "PSL enters new era as Hyderabad, Sialkot join league". The News. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "PSL 11: Complete squad lists after Player Auction". A Sports. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "Aima Baig calls Atif Aslam her 'Badass Boss' in mysterious music tease". 24 Digital. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "پیپسی کا پاکستان سپر لیگ کے 11ویں 12ویں اور 13ویں ایڈیشن کیلئے بطور آفیشل بیوریج اور انٹرٹینمنٹ پارٹنرکا معاہدہ". Daily Jang (in Urdu). 18 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "پی ایس ایل 11 کا آفیشل اینتھم کون گائے گا؟" (in Urdu). ARY News. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Amir Hashmi (19 March 2026). "پی ایس ایل 11 کا اینتھم کون گائے گا؟ گلوکار کا نام سامنے آگیا" (in Urdu). Kashmir Digital. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Watch Amjad Sabri's Nieces Pay Tribute to the Singing Legend". Dawn Images. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Atif Aslam and Aima Baig will be performing this year's PSL anthem". Dawn Images. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Faraz Khan; Nabil Tahir (25 March 2018). "PSL breathes life back into Karachi after nine years". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  14. ↑ "Renowned musicians, pyrotechnics kick off PSL 2019 in Dubai". Dawn. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. ↑ "PSL will pay tribute to Nazia Hassan on the closing ceremony". Dawn Images. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "'Historic day': Star-studded closing ceremony electrifies crowd before PSL finale". Dawn. 17 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "PSL 6 shows off its 'groove' in star-studded opening ceremony". Dawn. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "PSL opening ceremony costs PCB nearly Rs25 million". The News. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "NCOC okays 25pc attendance for PSL 7 matches in Karachi". ARY News. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Lock and load: PSL 2023 blasts off with adrenaline-pumping festivities". Geo News. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Alam Zeb Safi (18 February 2024). "HBL PSL explodes into action". The News. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "PSL 11 broadcast overhaul promises immersive cricket experience for fans". Pakistan Today. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Krishnendu Banerjee (22 March 2026). "Fuel crisis forces PCB to announce revised PSL 2026 schedule, Lahore & Karachi only venues". Inside Sport. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  24. ↑ سہیل عمران (24 March 2026). "پی ایس ایل 11: محسن نقوی کی ملکی و غیر ملکی کھلاڑیوں کے اعزاز میں تقریب". Geo News. Retrieved 25 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Huzaifa Gaba (24 March 2026). "PSL 11 official anthem 'Khelenge Beat Pe' released". A Sports. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  26. ↑ "PSL's 'Khelenge Beat Pe' keeps the energy up, but where's the anthem?". Dawn Images. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Atif Aslam's voice steals the spotlight in PSL new anthem". 24 Digital. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  28. 1 2 Ali A. Rizvi (3 April 2026). "Eleven Years of PSL Anthems: The Good, The Bad, and The Unforgivably Mediocre". The Jungle Today. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "'ترانہ کم اور پیپسی کا اشتہار زیادہ لگ رہا ہے'، پی ایس ایل 11 کا ترانہ سوشل میڈیا پر مذاق بن گیا". WE News. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  30. ↑ @GhaffarSports (24 March 2026). "Your views on PSL Anthem" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  31. ↑ @bhattimajid (24 March 2026). "PSL Anthem Released" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  32. ↑ @iamqadirkhawaja (24 March 2026). "whats ur thought on PSL Anthem" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  33. ↑ @Amermalik12 (24 March 2026). "The new PSL anthem" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  34. ↑ @AhmerNajeeb (24 March 2026). "PSL 2026 ANTHEM" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  35. ↑ "PSL 11 final preparations peak as organisers gear up for grand closing ceremony". The Nation. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  36. ↑ Asher Butt (4 May 2026). "Zalmi clinch historic PSL title after nine-year wait". The News. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "PSL 11 closing ceremony dazzles with star-studded performances". Geo News. 3 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Star artists hold PSL closing ceremony ahead of Zalmi vs Kingsmen massive Gaddafi Stadium final". Hum News. 3 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.