The chill in India–Bangladesh cricket relations showed on the field today when the captains skipped the customary handshake after the toss in the U19 World Cup group match in Bulawayo.
With Bangladesh’s regular captain Azizul Hakim Tamim not on the square, vice-captain Jawad Abrar represented the side. At match referee Dean Cosker’s instruction, India’s U19 captain Ayush Matre flipped the coin; Abrar called “tails” and Bangladesh won the toss. As the formality ended, Matre walked away without offering a hand, and Abrar did not initiate one either—an exchange (or lack thereof) that immediately stirred debate before a ball was bowled.
The moment arrives amid a broader freeze: BCCI’s instruction to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from the upcoming IPL sparked a political and cricketing row, followed by Bangladesh’s decision not to send its senior team to India for the men’s T20 World Cup. ICC and BCB remain in talks over Bangladesh’s fixtures and venue options.
Such lapses in on-field courtesies have surfaced elsewhere in South Asian cricket over the past year, including high-profile incidents in India–Pakistan fixtures. Today’s youth match proceeded as scheduled, but the pre-game scene underscored how off-field disputes are bleeding into cricket’s most basic rituals.