India and Bangladesh Under-19 captains avoided the customary handshake during the toss at the U19 World Cup match in Bulawayo.
Political tension between India and Bangladesh surfaced during their Under-19 World Cup Group B match on Saturday in Bulawayo. India captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh stand-in captain Zawad Abrar avoided the customary handshake at the toss. The match took place at the Queens Sports Club.
Bangladesh captain Md Azizul Hakim Tamim missed the toss due to illness. Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bowl. Both captains moved away without interaction. The tension continued during the national anthems, with no visible engagement between players. Later, India opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi exchanged brief words with Bangladesh players during his innings.
— Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) January 17, 2026
Notably, Bangladesh recently declined to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to start on February 7. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has formally approached the ICC, requesting that their fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka. The decision followed Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.
READ ALSO | ICC Urges Bangladesh to Reconsider India Travel for T20 World Cup 2026
A similar situation had occurred last year involving India and Pakistan. During the Asia Cup, captains from both sides avoided handshakes across three matches. That approach extended to several tournaments, including the Women’s World Cup, Rising Stars Asia Cup, and Under-19 Asia Cup. The same stance is expected when India and Pakistan meet in the T20 World Cup on February 15.
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