India vs Bangladesh U19 Handshake row takes a surprising twist

The post-game scenes in Bulawayo were straightforward, with India and Bangladesh U19 players shaking hands after their Group B clash. That contrasted with the toss, where Ayush Mhatre and Abrar skipped the usual gesture, drawing immediate comparisons to last year’s India-Pakistan flashpoints. Bangladesh’s board later issued a clarification.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board clarified that the lack of a handshake was purely accidental and the result of a momentary loss of concentration.

Once India clinched the contest by 18 runs under the DLS calculation, players from both camps exchanged handshakes, drawing a line under the earlier noise.

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

The brief handshake row was put to rest after the BCB clarified it stemmed from a misunderstanding. The cricket, meanwhile, produced an 18-run Indian win, with weather trimming the second innings to 29 overs.

India made it two wins on the bounce in the tournament, having also overcome the USA in their first outing under Ayush Mhatre. Vihaan Malhotra picked up the Player of the Match award after a standout bowling effort.

India skipper Ayush Mhatre lauded the collective performance of his side after the game.

“Kundu and Vaibhav played outstanding knocks, and Kanishk finished it off really well. There was some moisture in the surface and the ball was holding from a back-of-a-length area, which made batting tricky. We felt the rain break worked in our favour, as Bangladesh had started to build momentum. The boys believed we could defend the score. Batters don’t usually expect a part-timer in those situations, which is why we went with Malhotra. I have full faith in his ability.”