In a scene mirroring recent India-Pakistan encounters, the captains of the Under-19 cricket teams of India and Bangladesh skipped the customary handshake at the toss during their Group A match at the ICC U-19 World Cup in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on Saturday. India's captain, Ayush Mhatre, and Bangladesh's vice-captain, Zawad Abrar, visibly avoided each other at the Queens Sports Club. Bangladesh's regular captain, Md Azizul Hakim Tamim, was absent due to illness, leading to Abrar's stand-in role.
It remains unclear which team initiated the break from protocol, but the two captains dispensed with the traditional sporting gesture before the toss, which Bangladesh won and elected to field. Mhatre reportedly took a step back, seemingly snubbing the handshake, while Abrar also didn't step forward, proceeding directly to speak with the broadcaster. Reports indicate that the two captains also avoided eye contact during the event. Following the toss, both teams proceeded to the field for the national anthems, with no interaction observed between the players.
This incident is reminiscent of the 'no-handshake' stance adopted by the Indian men's team during the Asia Cup in September 2025, where Suryakumar Yadav's team avoided shaking hands with Pakistani players in all three matches. The Indian team also declined to accept the trophy from the Asian Cricket Council president, Mohsin Naqvi. This policy was later followed by India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur during an ICC Women's ODI World Cup match and the Indian Under-19 team during their group-stage match against Pakistan at the U-19 Asia Cup last month.
The lack of handshakes and interaction extends beyond the captains, with reports suggesting some exchanges between India's opening batter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Bangladeshi players.
The apparent breakdown in on-field courtesies comes amid what officials have described as "cold relations" between Bangladesh and India. Tensions have risen in recent months due to violence linked to the death of a Bangladeshi student leader and the lynching of a Hindu man. These tensions have reportedly spilled over into cricket administration, with the Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman following a directive from the BCCI. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) initially responded by refusing to issue a no-objection certificate for Mustafizur to participate in the IPL. Further escalating the situation, the BCB has reportedly requested the ICC to move Bangladesh's T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, although the reasons for this request are not completely clear. Moreover, Bangladesh has refused to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup citing security concerns.
