Agencies | Dubah:
A fresh controversy has emerged amid improving relations between the Indian and Bangladesh cricket boards after Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana did not shake hands with her Indian counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur following their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 semi-final clash in the UAE.
The incident has revived memories of the tense 2023 ODI series between the two teams, when Harmanpreet publicly criticised the umpiring during the series-deciding match in Dhaka.
Harmanpreet had smashed the stumps after being given out LBW and later reportedly called for the umpires to join the players during the end-of-series photograph, suggesting dissatisfaction with the officiating. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana subsequently led her players back to the dressing room.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has distanced itself from Sultana’s latest decision, saying it was made independently.
“Of course, it was her own decision to not shake hands with Harmanpreet,” BCB women’s committee chairman Rafiqul Islam Babu was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“We believe sports bring the world together. We want friendly relations with all countries, not just India, and so whatever she did was entirely her personal decision,” he said.
India defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in the Asia Cup semi-final, ending Bangladesh’s campaign in the tournament.
The BCB is also expected to review Sultana’s position as captain following the team’s recent performances and complaints of misconduct.
“We have discussed the thing (performance and complaint) in total with the board president, and since they are in Asian Games, we will assess the situation after the conclusion of the games,” Babu said.
He acknowledged that Bangladesh still had several areas to address, particularly its performance against stronger teams.
“There are many shortcomings in the team. We have not been able to beat the bigger teams. We played well in the World Cup too but lost because of small mistakes. We are working to make the team stronger and more competitive. After the Asian Games, we will decide what can be done,” he added.
The latest episode has once again brought the 2023 tensions between the two sides into focus, even as the cricket boards have sought to improve bilateral relations.
