The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has distanced itself from Nigar Sultana’s decision not to shake hands with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur during the toss before their Women’s Asia Cup semi-final. Notably, the incident has raised questions over Nigar’s captaincy, with the BCB set to assess her performance.
Tamim Iqbal, who recently took charge as BCB president, is working to strengthen its relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCB is keen to secure a bilateral series against India in September. Notably, the board will have to balance the issue with its relationship with Indian cricket.
BCB Distances Board From Nigar Sultana Handshake Controversy
BCB women’s committee chairman Rafiqul Islam Babu said that Nigar Sultana made the decision herself and that it was not taken by the board. He stated that the BCB wants to maintain good relations with all cricketing nations and does not support using cricket to create divisions.
“Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet),” Babu said. “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 handshake snub came as a surprise because India and Bangladesh have generally shared a friendly sporting rivalry. India’s no-handshake stance has mainly been seen in matches against Pakistan since the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup amid political tensions between the two countries.
Nigar Sultana’s Captaincy Future Under Scrutiny After Asia Cup Exit
Nigar Sultana’s future as Bangladesh captain is now under scrutiny after complaints of misconduct. However, the BCB will wait until the conclusion of the 2026 Asian Games before deciding on Nigar Sultana's future.
Rafiqul Islam Babu said that the issue, along with the team’s recent performances, has already been discussed with Tamim Iqbal. Bangladesh have struggled to beat stronger teams, and the women’s committee wants to assess their progress before making any major decision.
“First, we will see how the team performs at the Asian Games, then decide what needs to be done,” Babu said. “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.”
Shafali Verma Punishes Bangladesh After Costly Fielding Errors
After choosing to field, Bangladesh removed Smriti Mandhana early but failed to capitalise on the breakthrough. Shafali Verma was dropped three times and was also given a reprieve when Bangladesh missed a straightforward run-out chance. The opener made them pay with a brilliant 64 off 40 balls.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Pratika Rawal struggled to score quickly, but Richa Ghosh’s 21 off 16 balls and Deepti Sharma’s 13 off six helped India finish on 149/6. Sultana Khatun was Bangladesh’s best bowler, taking 2/30 from three overs.
Bangladesh never looked comfortable in the chase. Although their top six batters reached double figures, they scored too slowly and reached only 65/2 after 13 overs. The pressure eventually triggered a collapse.
Deepti Sharma claimed three wickets, while N Shree Charani and Prema Rawat took one each. Nandani Sharma then picked up two wickets from the final two balls of the innings as Bangladesh were bowled out for 109. Shorna Akter remained unbeaten on 22 off 18 balls.
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