Nigar Sultana leads Bangladesh against India with her captaincy under BCB review

Nigar Sultana leads Bangladesh into an Asian Games semi-final against India nine days after the toss that left her captaincy under review at home

Bangladesh Women meet India Women in the second semi-final of the Asian Games women's cricket competition at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Sunday, with a place in the gold medal match at stake. The match starts at 10.30am IST.

It is the second time this month the two sides have met with a final in front of them. At the Women's Asia Cup semi-final in Dubai on 10 September, Nigar did not shake hands with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur at the toss. India made 149 for 6 and bowled Bangladesh out to 109 for 7 to win by 40 runs, then beat Sri Lanka in the final for a record eighth title.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board distanced itself from the gesture within days, and has since confirmed that Nigar's leadership will be assessed once these Games finish, with complaints about conduct inside the squad already lodged against her.

A gesture the board would not defend

Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women's committee, said the refusal carried no sanction from the board. "Of course, it was her own decision (not to shake hands with Harmanpreet)," he 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," Babu said.

Nigar has not publicly explained the decision, and no reason has been offered by the team since.

A review wider than one toss

The board has framed the review as a separate matter, resting on complaints about her conduct within the squad and on results, rather than on the handshake alone.

"We have discussed the matter (performance and complaint) 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," Babu said.

That places the tournament, which closes on 22 September, in front of the decision rather than behind it. Nigar remains captain for the semi-final, with left-arm spinner Nahida Akter as her deputy.

Two routes to the same semi-final

Bangladesh have not yet batted or bowled a ball in Japan. Their quarter-final against China was abandoned without play, and they advanced as the higher seed.

India came through the other way, bowling hosts Japan out for 57 and winning by eight wickets inside five overs of the reply.

The eight-team event is a straight knockout in the T20 format, with no group stage for either side to settle into. Pakistan beat Thailand in a quarter-final cut to 11 overs by rain, and Sri Lanka beat Malaysia by 86 runs.

What Bangladesh have to work with

Nahida heads a spin-led attack that also holds Rabeya Khan and Fahima Khatun, with Marufa Akter the senior seamer in a squad of 15.

Much the same group beat Pakistan and the Netherlands at this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup, the clearest results of Nigar's tenure.

They will be bowling on Sunday to the side that won the Asia Cup this month, one that carries Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma through its order.

The medal on the other side

The winner meets Pakistan or Sri Lanka, who play the first semi-final at the same ground earlier on Sunday, with the medal matches to follow on 22 September.

India are defending the gold they won at the last Asian Games, and reached the last four without being tested.

For Bangladesh, a first appearance in an Asian Games gold medal match would arrive in the same week their board decides who leads them next.

Bangladesh Women and India Women meet at Korogi Sports Park on Sunday, with the loser dropping into the bronze medal match.

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