The captains of India and Bangladesh skipped the usual handshake during the toss of their U-19 World Cup match, but both teams shook hands at the end of the match, which the former won.
During the toss, Bangladesh interim captain Zawad Abrar and Indian captain Ayush Mhatre did not do the usual handshake during the pre-match toss, which the former won.
“There were, however, handshakes between the teams at the end of the match, which India won by 18 runs (DLS method),” ESPN Cricinfo reported.
The report also cites a statement from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that “the lack of a handshake with the opposing captain was completely unintentional and was a result of a momentary lapse in concentration.”
“There was no intention to show discourtesy or contempt towards the opposition,” the BCB said in a statement.
“The Board of Directors has considered the matter with due seriousness as respect for the spirit of cricket and respect for opponents is a fundamental prerequisite for representing Bangladesh at any level and has immediately informed the team management accordingly,” the BCB said.
“Players were also reminded of their responsibility to maintain the highest standards of sportsmanship, camaraderie and mutual respect in all their interactions with opposing teams,” the statement added.
It is worth mentioning that Indian cricketers had refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during last year’s Asia Cup matches, in the aftermath of a military conflict between the two countries.
Saturday’s development comes as Bangladesh announcement that he will not play his T20 World Cup matches in India after his player Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League (IPL) team.
Mustafizur, who played in the IPL for other teams in previous editions, was bought at auction in December by Kolkata for over $1 million. His dismissal sparked fury in Dhaka.
Subsequently, Bangladesh “formally requested” the International Cricket Council to move its games to Sri Lanka.
Earlier this week, in a video conference with the ICC, the BCB said it had “reiterated its request to the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India”.
Political relations between India and Bangladesh had deteriorated after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.
India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called “unrelenting hostility against minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.
