Skip to content

Handshake drama returns to the U19 World Cup! India, Bangladesh captains refuse toss courtesies – WATCH | Cricket News – The Tech Word News

January 17, 2026
NEW DELHI: India captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar on Saturday skipped the customary handshake at the draw ahead of their U-19 World Cup Group A clash at the Queens Sports Club, underscoring the strain in relations between the two neighboring nations.The toss was delayed by more than 15 minutes due to drizzle, and when the captains left, neither began the traditional exchange of pleasantries.

Suryakumar Yadav the captain has the best horoscope | Greenstone Lobo predicts

After Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first, both sides finished their on-air talks and returned to their dressing rooms without interacting with each other.The move is in line with the ‘no handshake’ stance adopted by the Indian men’s team during the men’s Asia Cup in September 2025. During all three matches of this tournament, the Indian players did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts and also refused to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.The policy was later followed by Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur during an ICC Women’s ODI World Cup match and was again observed by the Indian Under-19 team during their group stage match against Pakistan at last month’s U-19 Asia Cup.India-Bangladesh ties have also soured in recent months following violence involving the death of a Bangladeshi student leader and the lynching of a Hindu man. The tension spilled over into the cricket administration when IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders dropped Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their team on BCCI orders.In response, the Bangladesh Cricket Board initially refused to issue a no-objection certificate to Mustafizur to participate in the IPL. Subsequently, the BCB wrote to the ICC requesting that Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches be moved to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

Index
    Settings