The Ayush Mhatre captained Team India pulled off a Houdini act at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday to register a spectacular 18-run win in the U19 World Cup Group B tie. The contest was constantly marred by rain, and eventually it was curtailed to 29 overs, with Bangladesh being asked to chase down 165. The Md Azizul Hakim Tamim-led Bangladesh were in the driver's seat after being 90/2 in 17.2 overs, and needing just 75 runs more for the win with eight wickets in hand. As soon as the contest resumed, the skies opened up once again; however, the on-field officials, Lubabalo Gcuma and Russell Warren, ensured that the 20-over mark was reached and a game was constituted.
India tried its best to stop the proceedings as Bangladesh were ahead under the DLS method. However, the rain relented, and the play went on. Bangladesh were looking set to register a victory over India with captain Tamim going past the 50-run mark and guiding the chase.
Also Read: BCB breaks silence on no-handshake incident against India at U19 World Cup: ‘Momentary lapse in concentration’
However, Vihaan Malhotra had other plans, and he stepped up with the ball, returning with four wickets to stop Bangladesh well in its tracks. From 124/3 to 146, Bangladesh lost the remaining seven wickets for just 22 runs as India got out of jail to register its second win on the trot in the 2026 U19 World Cup.
Malhotra returned with the figures of 4/14 in four overs, and deservingly, he won the Player of the Match accolade. Speaking to the host broadcaster after the win, Malhotra stated that the team had always believed in their abilities and was not bothered by the constant rain breaks or Bangladesh being ahead.
{{/usCountry}}Malhotra returned with the figures of 4/14 in four overs, and deservingly, he won the Player of the Match accolade. Speaking to the host broadcaster after the win, Malhotra stated that the team had always believed in their abilities and was not bothered by the constant rain breaks or Bangladesh being ahead.
{{/usCountry}}“It was a nerve-wracking match, and in the end, we are on the winning side, which is good for us. The discussion was positive, that we can do it from any situation, we were ready to play the match and were waiting for the umpires' update," he said.
Earlier, India were bundled out for 238 in 48.4 overs, and the side reached this score majorly due to Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhigyan Kundu, who scored 72 and 80, respectively. For Bangladesh, Al Fahad starred with the ball, as he returned with five wickets.
Handshakes return
After the game concluded, players from both India and Bangladesh were seen exchanging customary post-match greetings as they shook hands. Earlier, the contest began with no handshake between India captain Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain.
The Bangladesh skipper, Tamim, did not come out for the toss as he was unwell. Both the players from India and Bangladesh went their own ways after the coin flip, and there was no handshake, raising quite a few eyebrows.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also issued a statement, saying the act was unintentional and that players were reminded to uphold the spirit of cricket. And this is exactly what happened after the game, with no bad blood between the two teams.
It is worth noting that the relations between India and Bangladesh are currently strained due to the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. The BCB asked the ICC to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India after the Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman despite picking him for INR 9.20 crore.