Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana - (Source: ScreenGrab/X.com)
On Thursday, June 25, India women and Bangladesh women locked horns at Old Trafford in Manchester. It is a do-or-die game for both teams in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, because they have four points in three matches.
India and Bangladesh are eyeing the semi-final, which adds immense pressure on both sides. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana made headlines at the toss, where they didn’t shake hands.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana Do Not Shake Hands
At the toss, Bangladesh’s Nigar Sultana won the coin flip and opted to bat first. Interestingly, the two captains ignored each other and didn’t greet with a handshake as reported by BDcrickettimes, one of the leading Bangladesh sports media platforms.
Notably, it is still possible that the two captains might have greeted each other when the camera was not on them. However, usually it is seen that the two captains greet each other when one walks back to the dressing room after talking to the presenter. However, it was not the case with Bangladesh and India captain.
It is believed to be the second instance between the two captains when they didn’t shake hands at the toss.
Also Read: India vs Bangladesh Women's T20 World Cup 2026 Toss Report: Harmanpreet Kaur Drops Two Star Players
Why Didn't Harmanpreet Kaur Shake Hands With Nigar Sultana?
As mentioned above, it is not the first time that Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana have not greeted each other at the toss. Reports suggest that the two ignored each other also at the 2025 ODI World Cup.
There could be multiple reasons behind this move. Firstly, the two players have a long history of rift. It all started in July 2023 when Harmanpreet was given out and infamously smashed the stumps with her bat.
Kaur was not impressed by the umpiring, which led to Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana expressing her displeasure with Harmanpreet's behavior. It led to the Indian team skipping the customary handshakes and photo-op with the Bangladesh squad.
Another reason could also be the worsened geo-political relations between India and Bangladesh, which also forced the BCCI to ask KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026 squad.
Bangladesh Join Pakistan In No-Handshake Saga With Indian Team
Prior to Bangladesh, India women still maintain a no-handshake policy with Pakistan cricket team. Even during the 2026 T20 World Cup match, the two arch-rivals did not greet each other at the toss.
The reason here is totally different. India and Pakistan were on the verge of a war in May 2025 after Pakistani terrorists attacked civilians in Kashmir. Therefore, it started with India during Asia Cup where they refused to shake hands with the Men in Green.
It has been over a year and the tradition is still in place between the two teams. Nonetheless, talking about the ongoing match, Bangladesh women are going strong and have put 96/3 on the board after 14 overs.
Also Read: India-Origin Star To Play? Ireland's Predicted Playing XI For 1st T20I Vs India 2026
.jpg?type=mq "IND-W vs BAN-W Toss")
