They weigh 120 kilogrammes each, but aren't supposed to touch the ground or be displayed the wrong way round. They were once piles of plastic. Now they're symbols of national and cultural pride. They have earned, without fail, cheers when they've been unfurled, as majestically as a cover drive, alongside the ICC's "Cricket for Good" banner before every match in the men's T20 World Cup.

They're the flags of the 20 countries represented by teams at the tournament. And they are spectacular - each the size of three doubles tennis courts, each made from around 11,000 recycled plastic bottles, and each held taut by 50 young volunteers.

The spectacle of national flags being shown off on the outfield has been part of ICC events for years. If they've looked bigger than they used to, that's because they are - they've been giant-sized from the 2023 men's World Cup.

Accompanied by the ICC anthem, the stirring sound of hope first heard at the 2024 men's T20 World Cup, it's quite a show that tells spectators they are in a special place and about to see something special. It doesn't always turn out that way, of course. That's cricket. But you have to be a special kind of cynic not to be even a little moved by the moment.

Up to 132,000 people, and millions more watching from near and far, will likely be moved on Sunday, when the flags of India and New Zealand bloom big and beautiful in the melting moments before the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

This is about more than showing off: the bigger the flag, the more plastic bottles have been taken off the street and turned into something to salute and cheer. It was the idea of Coca-Cola India's Anandana Foundation and is part of the sustainability campaign Maidaan Saaf - which translates from Hindi, loosely, as clean earth. The success of the initiative hinges on the efficient collection and segregation of recyclable plastic at high footfall events.

"When you see the flags of the various countries, it's a moment of pride, firstly," Devyani Rana, the soft drink giant's vice-president for public affairs, communications and sustainability told Cricbuzz. "Secondly, it's recycled plastic that is being displayed. That brings awareness to everybody that something which can be done about waste, and not just in stadiums and in heavy football areas. It also brings that mindset.

"The civic sense of duty starts working in the normal consumer and the public that I must do this around my neighbourhood constantly. The idea is to keep pushing that forward."

Because you would prefer your neighbourhood maidaan covered in cricketers rather than plastic, wouldn't you? This isn't only about cricket and flags.

Maidaan Saaf workers, boat crew and volunteers were out in force - wearing more than 21,500 jackets made from recycled plastic - collecting rubbish at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in February last year, when 656-million Hindus assembled for the planet's largest human gathering.

"The idea is to enable effective segregation and structured recovery [of plastic waste]," Rana said. "And to channel that responsibly so that you close the loop and get down to recycling."

Hang on. We're talking about a global corporate entity whose core business is selling what is essentially liquified, plastic packaged sugar to as many people as possible. Why should we cut them slack for picking up after themselves?

"Naysayers will always be naysayers," Rana said. "But as a company we have to continue to work in a very responsible way. It's our responsibility and we continue to do it."

Was that a difficult notion to sell to the suits?

"Not at all. We have very strong support from our entire team, not just our bosses. When you are a responsible company this becomes a part of your being."

Getting the ICC anthem to your ears wasn't as seamless. Cricket's global body wanted to put on a bigger show at its events, to stamp an identity on its competitions, and add some zip while they were at it. They decided on doing so through music.

UEFA's Champions League anthem, which was written by English composer Tony Britten in 1992 and drawn from George Frideric Handel's "Zadok the Priest", was the inspiration. About 20 serious proposals were received, which were whittled down to a shortlist of three. The more they were listened to, the more one of them stood out.

Lorne Balfe, a Scottish composer, has made music for films ranging from the Mission: Impossible franchise, to the 2017 biopic Churchill, to The Lego Batman Movie. And for video games including Call of Duty and Skylanders. For the ICC project, he took recording equipment to a cricket match in Hollywood and captured the essential sounds of the game.

But this wasn't all about wistful creativity. The main part of the anthem is timed to be long enough to allow the youngsters carrying the flags to get into position. A crescendo is followed by a pause for the match officials to walk out. Other, shorter versions are used for broadcast purposes.

Making the decision to settle on Balfe's submission took around a year. Partly because, unlike the Champions League - a single competition in a single format limited to European football clubs - the ICC anthem had to try and embrace the entire game with all its formats, cultures and countries. Good luck marrying Indian bhangra with Australian pop with West Indian soca.

And after all that, the night before a 98-piece orchestra would record the anthem at Abbey Road Studios in London, where Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse, The Rolling Stones and their pale imitators, The Beatles, among many others, had laid down famous tracks, some in the ICC still weren't sure about all this. But the required signatures were gathered in time, and the rest is music.

So when next you're at an international and cheer at the sudden flash of a flag, and feel your hope rise on the wings of the anthem, know two things: that the soft drink you had at your previous game may be part of what you see before you, and that music makes magic.