The growing diplomatic and sporting tension between India and Bangladesh reached the global stage today when the two teams met in a Group A match of the Under-19 World Cup 2026. In a moment that instantly trended on social media, India captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar avoided the customary pre-match handshake, reflecting the current state of affairs between the two teams.
Controversy in U-19 World Cup 2026
Surprisingly, Bangladesh’s vice-captain, Azizul Hakim, came out for the toss instead of vice-captain Abrar, who was in the playing XI. After a rain delay, Abrar won the toss and decided to bowl first, given the dampness of the Bulawayo pitch.
While the technical discussions regarding the pitch and team changes were professional, the absence of handshakes caught the attention of fans worldwide. This follows a tradition established during the 2025 Asia Cup and Women’s World Cup, where Indian teams avoided shaking hands with Pakistani teams due to political tensions between the two countries.
What started as a stand against Pakistan in 2025 has now spread to Bangladesh, following a series of diplomatic disagreements that have also reached the senior men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The relationship between the BCCI and the BCB is under a lot of pressure after the cancellation of contracts of high-profile players in the IPL and the debate over the venue of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
After the toss was over, the focus shifted to cricket. Abrar expressed confidence in his bowling attack, while Mhatre said India would have preferred to bowl first, but they were ready to set a target.
Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar said, “We will field first. The wicket looks wet, and we’ll want to take advantage of it in the first 10-15 overs. We’ve prepared well, and we performed well in the Asia Cup. We have two all-rounders playing today.”
During the toss, Indian captain Ayush Mhatre said, “We would have bowled first too. The wicket looks wet, but that’s okay. Batting was a bit of a concern. The target was small, and we should have chased it down after losing one or two wickets, but that’s okay. There are no changes to our team.”