U-19 World Cup: Bangladesh’s handshake snub to India was a “momentary lapse”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has issued a statement on the controversy after a brief but widely shared moment during the Under-19 ICC World Cup toss. Bangladesh’s acting captain Jawad Abrar appeared to skip a handshake with his Indian counterpart, Ayush Mahatre.

The incident, caught on camera and amplified across social media, sparked speculation about tensions between the two cricketing nations. However, the BCB insisted there was no intent behind the gesture, calling it an unintentional mistake rather than a sign of protest or poor sportsmanship.

In an official clarification, the board said Jawad Abrar was momentarily distracted during the toss proceedings, which led to the awkward moment. The BCB also noted that Bangladesh’s regular captain, Azizul Hakim, was unavailable for the match due to illness, forcing Abrar to step in at short notice.

“The responsibility of observing on-field courtesies lies with the players,” the statement said, adding that the board firmly believes in the spirit of the game and rejected any suggestion of malice behind the incident.

The episode gained extra traction amid ongoing unease between Indian and Bangladeshi cricket circles, particularly following the expulsion of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) – an issue some fans attempted to link with the toss drama.

On the field, however, the focus belonged firmly to India. In the seventh match of the tournament, India edged Bangladesh by 18 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in Bulawayo.

Batting first, India were bowled out for 238 in 49 overs, built around composed knocks from Abhigyan Kundu (80) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (72). Kansik Chauhan added 28, while Bangladesh’s Al-Fahad starred with the ball, claiming an impressive five-wicket haul.

Rain later revised Bangladesh’s target to 165 in 29 overs, but the chase faltered as they were dismissed for 146 in the same number of overs. Azizul Hakim top-scored with a fighting 51, while Rafat Baig chipped in with 37. For India, Vihan Malhotra led the bowling charge with four wickets, supported by Khilan Patel’s two.

Despite the brief pre-match controversy, both boards said that the contest itself was played in the right spirit.