India-Bangladesh cricketers do not shake hands at toss

Tensions have emerged in political and cricketing relations between India and Bangladesh following the exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. As part of this strain, Bangladesh remains firm on its decision not to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup. Amid this heated situation, the youth teams of the two countries faced each other in Bulawayo on Saturday. Even before play began, controversy arose when players from the two teams did not shake hands during the toss.

The Under-19 World Cup match began at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time on Saturday. During the toss at the centre of the pitch, players from the two teams did not exchange handshakes. India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre avoided shaking hands with Bangladesh vice-captain Jawad Abrar.

As Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim Tamim was not ready, vice-captain Jawad Abrar was sent for the toss. Indian captain Ayush Mhatre held the coin and tossed it on the instruction of match referee Dean Kosker. Abrar called tails, and Bangladesh won the toss. Ayush Mhatre then walked away without any handshake, and Abrar also did not initiate one.

Previously, similar scenes of no handshakes have regularly been seen in India–Pakistan matches since last year’s Asia Cup. During that tournament, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha. Similar instances were later seen in age-group and women’s cricket. Bangladesh has now been added to that list.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had earlier decided to avoid normal courtesies with Pakistani cricketers in protest against a militant attack in Pahalgam. Indian players also refused to receive the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi after becoming Asian champions.

Recently, after Mustafizur Rahman was excluded from the IPL on BCCI instructions, cricketing relations between the two countries further cooled. In response, the Bangladesh government decided not to send the team to India for the T20 World Cup. Discussions are ongoing between the ICC and the BCB on the issue, with Bangladesh seeking to have its World Cup matches hosted outside India.

In this situation, an ICC delegation is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Saturday for discussions. Cricket fans in the country are awaiting the outcome of the meeting. However, even before that, the impact of diplomatic and cricketing tensions between India and Bangladesh has become clearly visible on the field.