Bangladesh Cricket Board’s women’s committee chairman Rafiqul Islam Babu reacted to Bangladesh women’s team captain Nigar Sultana’s decision to snub handshake with Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
Bangladesh skipper snubbed handshake with Harmanpreet Kaur during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. (Photo: ACC)
New Delhi: Rafiqul Islam Babu, the women’s committee chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), recently broke his silence on Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana’s decision to snub a handshake with Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur during the clash between the two sides in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. India defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal to book a spot in the final of the tournament.
Sultana avoided shaking hands with Harmanpreet during the game, sparking controversy. Speaking about the incident after the game, BCB women’s committee chairman distanced the board from the controversy and said it was Sultana’s personal decision. Babu insisted BCB wants to maintain friendly relations with all countries, including India.
“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” said Babu.
“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.
The handshake row triggered a fresh controversy amid India’s no-handshake policy against Pakistan in international cricket. Indian captains have refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all tournaments since the Asia Cup last year after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The no-handshake policy has been maintained amid political tensions between the two countries. Sultana decided to join the bandwagon against India earlier this week, leaving many surprised.
India eliminate Bangladesh from Women’s Asia Cup 2026
Harmanpreet Kaur-led India thrashed Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semifinal to eliminate them from the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Shafali Verma starred with the bat for India in the semifinal with a brilliant knock of 64 runs off 40 balls. Her 64 powered India to 149/6 in 20 overs before the bowlers bundled out Bangladesh for a paltry 109 runs to secure a thumping win.
India will take on Sri Lanka in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, September 13.
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Abhishek reports on all things sports for News9. He has been covering cricket extensively for more than five years now and is a keen follower of the game. From preserving newspaper cuts of his favourite sporting heroes to playing the game himself and then covering it from close quarters, cricket has stayed with him since childhood. He started his career with NewsX and has worked for some of the leading news organisations in the country, including Times Now and WION. He will probably be busy watching cricket/football when not crafting stories on sports and its heroes.
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