Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana and India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur shook hands at the toss ahead of their 2026 Asian Games semi-final on Sunday, days after their interaction at the Women’s Asia Cup became a talking point.
Kaur won the toss and elected to bat at Karogi Sports Park in Nisshin, extending her hand to Sultana as the two captains completed the customary pre-match gesture.
Harman didn't give a damn for this lady's handshake. pic.twitter.com/aCQdDYtefm
— Radhika Deshikachar (@sirfsapnadekho) September 20, 2026
Their latest meeting followed the Women’s Asia Cup semi-final, where Sultana did not shake hands with her Indian counterpart at the toss. The reason behind that decision was not publicly disclosed.
BCB distances itself from Asia Cup incident
The Bangladesh Cricket Board subsequently addressed the controversy and said Sultana’s actions did not result from an instruction from the governing body.
BCB Women’s Committee Chairman Rafiqul Islam Babu told 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.”
The BCB is set to assess matters concerning the women’s team after the Asian Games. Babu said separately that the board had discussed the team’s performance and a complaint with the BCB President, but would wait until the conclusion of the Games before determining what action, if any, should follow.
Wider India-Bangladesh cricket tensions
The controversy has come during a difficult period in cricket relations between India and Bangladesh.
In late 2025, the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the 2026 IPL. Bangladesh subsequently declined to travel to India for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, resulting in Scotland replacing the team in the tournament.
There is also previous history involving Kaur and Bangladesh. During India’s 2023 ODI series in Mirpur, the India Captain had an on-field outburst over an umpiring decision, with further tension emerging during the presentation after the three-match series finished 1-1.
India went on to beat Bangladesh in the Asian Games semi-final, securing a place in the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka.
