India vs Bangladesh Under-19 World Cup 2026: Ayush Mhatre avoids handshake with Bangladesh captain amid…

India captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar avoided shaking hands during the toss of their U19 World Cup 2026 Group A match at the Queens Sports Club

New Delhi: India and Bangladesh faced a intense moment during the toss ahead of their ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 clash in Bulawayo, as India’s Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh’s stand-in skipper Zawad Abrar exchanged a cold greeting at the toss on Saturday, January 17, at the Queens Sports Club.

Regular Bangladesh skipper Md Azizul Hakim Tamim wasn’t part of the playing XI due to illness, giving vice-captain Abrar the responsibility of leading the team in this crucial World Cup encounter.

India U19  and Bangladesh U19 avoided handshake at toss

When Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bowl first, the moment caught many by surprise. The two captains stood side by side, yet there was no handshake, greeting, or acknowledgment, with Abrar simply walking past Mhatre without any interaction.

In fact during the toss, both Abrar and Mhatre avoided making eye contact, reflecting the tense atmosphere between the India and Bangladesh. The awkwardness continued during the national anthem.

Toss news 🗞️#TeamIndia will bat first in their second group game 🆚 Bangladesh!️#ICCMensU19WC | #INDvBAN 👉 LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/DGP23ftABG pic.twitter.com/5hZ9PFHbFL

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 17, 2026

Players from Bangladesh U19 and India U19 gathered close to the boundary rope before entering the field, but neither team shook hands and kept their distance the entire time.

India gave Bangladesh “Pakistan treatment”

India’s strategy was similar to what they have been doing against Pakistan since the previous year after the Phalgam attack. Several innocent people were killed in April 2025 by militant groups based in Pakistan, which led to a brief military confrontation between the two nations.

Indian cricket teams of all ages and genders avoided shaking hands or interacting with Pakistan teams as a show of support for the families of the victims and as a protest against terrorism. Even the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the PCB and ACB and the interior minister of Pakistan, during the Asia Cup 2025.

Now, India appears to be taking a similar approach toward Bangladesh, following the ongoing violence and killings targeting Hindu minorities in the country. The tense moment on the field comes against the backdrop of rising political friction between the two nations.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 marked the first instance of the strained relations between the two nations. After protests in various parts of India, the BCCI ordered the removal of Bangladesh’s pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad, which intensified the situation.

In response, the Bangladesh government banned the IPL in the country. Additionally, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move all of their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches to co-host Sri Lanka, citing serious safety concerns for their players and officials if they were to travel to India.