India, Bangladesh U19 World Cup Handshake Row Takes Surprising U-Turn

India and Bangladesh players shook hands after their U19 World Cup Group B match in Bulawayo on Saturday, amid political tensions between the two nations. This comes after a controversy erupted at the toss, where the two captains skipped the customary gesture, sparking comparisons with India-Pakistan encounters at the Asia Cup last year. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a clarification soon after stand-in captain Zawad Abrar did not shake hands with India skipper Ayush Mhatre.

The BCB insisted that the absence of a handshake was "completely unintentional and resulted from a momentary lapse in concentration."

Following India's 18-run win (DLS method), the two sides eventually lined up to shake hands, putting the controversy to bed.

So the handshake drama ends.

BCB cleared that it was a miscommunication and a misunderstanding.

After the end of the match, both teams performed a handshake. #ICC #BangladeshCricket pic.twitter.com/mRIAiTuuqH

— Shadman Sakib Arnob (@arnuX05) January 17, 2026

Meanwhile, India registered a thrilling 18-run win over Bangladesh after the second innings was reduced to 29 overs due to rain.

It was India's second consecutive win in the ongoing tournament. Earlier, the Ayush Mhatre-led side defeated the USA in their opening fixture.

For his superb bowling performance, India's Vihaan Malhotra was named Player of the Match.

India captain Mhatre praised the all-round effort from his players after the match.

"The way Kundu and Vaibhav batted was really brilliant. Even Kanishk batted brilliantly in the end. There was a little dampness on the wicket. The ball was sticking on the wicket from back of the length. It was difficult. There was a simple discussion: the break was on our side because there was some momentum for Bangladesh... Boys were confident we could defend the total. The batsman doesn't expect a part-timer to come in this situation [and hence giving the ball to Malhotra]. I'm pretty confident in his skills."

Topics mentioned in this article

Bangladesh U19 India U19 Vaibhav Suryavanshi Ayush Mhatre Zawad Abrar Azizul Hakim Tamim ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Cricket