Handshake Skipped as Delhi-Dhaka Strains Surface at U-19 Cup

News Desk

Islamabad: A seemingly small gesture at the Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe has drawn attention to widening strains between India and Bangladesh, as the captains of the two sides skipped the traditional handshake at the pre-match toss on Saturday.

Bangladesh’s acting captain Zawad Abrar and India’s Ayush Mhatre avoided the customary greeting ahead of their contest in Bulawayo, a moment that did not go unnoticed by players, officials and fans. Dhaka-based daily Prothom Alo reported that it was unclear which team opted out of the handshake, but the absence was widely interpreted as symbolic given the broader political and cricketing context.

The incident follows Bangladesh’s decision to refuse to play its upcoming T20 World Cup matches in India, escalating a dispute triggered by the release of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. Mustafizur, who was bought by Kolkata at December’s auction for more than $1 million, was later let go, a move that sparked strong criticism in Bangladesh.

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In response, Dhaka formally approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting that Bangladesh’s World Cup fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh Cricket Board reiterated this demand earlier this week during a video conference with the global governing body.

The strained cricketing relations mirror a broader deterioration in diplomatic ties between the two neighbours. Political relations cooled after a mass uprising in Bangladesh in 2024 led to the removal of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a longstanding ally of New Delhi.

Since then, India has publicly raised concerns about what it described as “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Bangladesh, claims that the country’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has dismissed as exaggerated.

While the U-19 handshake snub may not violate any rules, it has underscored how geopolitical tensions are increasingly spilling onto the cricket field, even at junior levels of the game. Whether administrators can prevent further flashpoints as major tournaments approach remains an open question.