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Handshake Refused! U-19 World Cup 2026 clash fuels India–Bangladesh controversy

Harsh Adwani

India and Bangladesh U-19 captains refuse to shake hands during the toss [Source: @BCBtigers/x.com]India and Bangladesh U-19 captains refuse to shake hands during the toss [Source: @BCBtigers/x.com]

India U-19 captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar did not shake hands at the toss during their U-19 World Cup clash on Saturday. This comes after the rising political tension between the two national boards. This incident has added to the drama, which was previously restricted to off-field actions.

The toss was already delayed by 15 minutes or so owing to a drizzle in Bulawayo. Once it did get underway, Bangladesh’s vice-captain, standing in for skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim, called it right and chose to field first. Eventually, the two captains did not share the customary handshake.

None of the teams gave an official stance before the start of the match. While the two captains spoke about their team, preparations, and the match details, the refusal to shake hands was not acknowledged.

India and Bangladesh relations have been deteriorating

This incident echoed the incident between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup last year. The two teams had been at logger heads, which also resulted in major controversies throughout the tournament. 

India’s political relations with Bangladesh are very sensitive at the moment. This was further fuelled when Mustafizur Rahman was snubbed from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the IPL 2026.

Following this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made a formal request to the ICC to shift their upcoming T20 World Cup matches out of India. However, no decision has been made on the situation.

As per the original schedule, Bangladesh are set to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai for the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup. However, the BCB cited security concerns as the reason for rescheduling their matches.

The BCB and ICC are still negotiating the rescheduling of Bangladesh’s matches. The ICC has urged BCB to reconsider their plea, while the BCB has threatened to revoke their participation in the tournament if their demands are not met.

India U-19 got off to a good start in the World Cup

In the meantime, India got off to a great start in the U-19 World Cup. They restricted the USA to a score of just 107 runs in their first game and chased down the target with six wickets to spare in a rain-shortened game. They took a great lead early in the tournament.

As for Bangladesh, they are playing their first game of the tournament against India. They are scheduled to play New Zealand on January 20th and the USA on January 23rd. How they fare in their opening clash of the tournament remains to be seen. 

The competition in Group A is really tough, with India and New Zealand posing a gig challenge infront of Bangladesh. They will have to give it their all to make it to the next stage of the tournament. Additionally, they faced rain troubles in both their warm-up matches, with games against Pakistan and Scotland ending without any result.