The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Thursday distanced itself from the decision of their captain Nigar Sultana, not to shake hands with India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur during the Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final match on Thursday. Nigar avoided the same during the toss but the BCB said they are not at all influenced by the decision.
Women's committee chairperson Rafiqul Islam Babu said Nigar's decision was personal and Bangladesh wanted to maintain good sporting ties with all countries, including India. This comes at a time when the relations between the two boards have been in the news.
BCB Says Nigar Sultana's Handshake Snub Was 'Personal Decision'
“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” Rafiqul said as quoted 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 added.
Nigar Sultana and the Bangladesh women's team have yet to explain the incident and why the handshake was cut short. The event has drawn attention due to the tensions that have been simmering between India and Bangladesh, particularly with regard to cricket.
Relations between the two countries had hit rock bottom in late 2025, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly telling IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh rejected further travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Scotland were eventually brought in as their replacement.
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But relations between the two cricketing nations have thawed a bit in recent months, particularly with former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal assuming the BCB president charge earlier this year.
The handshake incident also takes place against the backdrop of India's ongoing stance towards Pakistan. In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, Indian teams have refused to shake hands and have eschewed post-match pleasantries with Pakistan during their fixtures.
India Beat Bangladesh To Reach Women's Asia Cup Final
In the field, India delivered a convincing performance to see off Bangladesh by 40 runs in the Women's Asia Cup semi-final to secure their place in the final.
Shafali Verma led the charge with her breathtaking 64 as India reached 149/6 after being asked to bat first. Bangladesh failed to live up to the challenge of the target before India's bowlers took over.
Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler, with three wickets as India restricted Bangladesh to 109/7 as they rounded out a comfortable victory.
While the issue with the handshake drew attention outside the pitch, the result ensured India were able to progress to the title clash in their quest for another Women's Asia Cup crown.
Rafiqul also revealed that Nigar Sultana's future as Bangladesh captain will be assessed after the conclusion of the 2026 Asian Games.
“We have discussed the thing in total with the board president and since they are in the Asian Games we will assess the situation after the conclusion of the games. First, we will see how the team performs at the Asian Games, then decide what needs to be done,” he said.
For now, Nigar remains at the helm, but the prospect of her leadership position coming under review is always in the air after Bangladesh's Asian Games campaign concludes.