The match between India and Bangladesh in the Under-19 world cup 2026 in the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo attracted interest even before the first ball was tossed on the ground. A moment of tension was observed during the toss in which the captains of the two teams failed to shake hands.
Instead of any physical greeting, Indian Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre and the Bangladesh stand-in captain Jawad Abrar shook hands at the toss. Bangladesh captain Mohammad Azizul Hakim Tamim was ill and failed to appear and it is because of this that Abrar represented Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is the winner of the toss and preferred bowling. Jawad Abrar had turned his back on Ayush Mhatre after the toss and this was soon turned into an issue of discussion. It was the same case in the national anthem ceremony, with the opposing players remaining remote and not interacting with each other.
The body language of the two teams indicated increased tension between the cricketing units implying the tension that has recently been experienced between India-Bangladesh sporting relations.
The IPL Exit by Mustafizur Rahman is a Source of Tension.
In early March, the Kolkata Knight Riders lost the services of Bangladeshi quick bow Mustafizur Rahman off their IPL 2026 team on the recommendation of the Board of Control of Cricket in India. The only Bangladeshi player who was selected to play in the next IPL season was Mustafizur who was purchased at 9.2 crore in the mini-auction.
This move was made in the face of escalating issues in the areas of security as well as political matters. KKR acted on the order, but the action resulted in major uproar in the Bangladesh cricket fraternity.
BCB Addresses ICC Over Security Issues.
After the release of Mustafizur, the Bangladesh Cricket Board reported to the International Cricket Council. In 2026, the T20 world cup, the BCB asked the matches of Bangladesh to be relocated to Sri Lanka due to the reasons of security in playing in India.
To further add on the situation, the Bangladesh government has allegedly blocked broadcasting of the IPL in the country emphasizing the increasing gap.
As the match of the Under-19 world cup is still going on the ground, the events taking place off the field have obviously introduced an additional dimension to the Indian-Bangladesh relationship in Cricket.