Bangladesh-Sri Lanka: A rivalry sparked by ‘Nagin Dance’

What sparks a sporting rivalry?

A cursory look at every great sporting rivalry in the world would show that there is always something other than the ‘sport’ at the centre of the rivalry.

At the heart of the India and Pakistan rivalry, lays the deep wounds of partition in 1947 which have been exacerbated over the years by wars and other geo-political issues.

The tussle between Barcelona and Real Madrid is symbolic of the freedom struggle of Catalonia against the Spanish crown. The root of the England-Australia rivalry lies in the British colonial rule in Australia.

On 31 August, the next chapter of a budding cricketing rivalry will be written in Pallekele when Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in both teams' opening match in the Asia Cup.

The Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry is still at its nascent stage but has already produced some memorable moments in the past four years or so.

Other than being a new rivalry, it is also perhaps the most unique rivalry currently going around in international cricket. Unlike other rivalries, which are caused by real-world issues, this rivalry was sparked by a dance, the dreaded ‘Nagin Dance’.

Nazmul Islam, a left-arm spinner from Bangladesh, played for Rajshahi Kings in the 2016 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

His captain in Rajshahi was West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy. In one match, after picking up a wicket, Nazmul did the now infamous ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration. Sammy got into the act and reacted as if he was scared by Nazmul’s antics.

Nazmul liked the reaction from his skipper and decided he would continue celebrating every wicket the same way.

Nazmul’s celebration went largely unnoticed until 2018. That year, he made his debut for Bangladesh in a T20 against Sri Lanka in Dhaka.

Nazmul took a couple of wickets in the match, the first was of Danushka Gunathilaka. After getting the batter stumped, Nazmul did his trademark ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration. Gunathilaka didn’t like that.

In the next match of the series, after Gunathilaka took the final Bangladesh wicket to complete a comprehensive victory, he turned towards the non-striker’s end where Nazmul was standing and did the ‘Nagin Dance’, mocking the player featuring in only his second ever international game.

The incident could’ve ended there, with Gunathilaka getting the final say. But the Bangladesh team’s senior statesman Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t allow that.

Two months later, Bangladesh were in Sri Lanka for the Nidahas Twenty20 Trophy, a tri-nation series with India as the third team.

Sri Lanka had Bangladesh on the ropes after posting 214-6. But the Tigers retaliated in a marvellous manner, reaching 215-5 to complete their highest-ever successful chase in T20s.

The man who took Bangladesh home with a brilliant counter-attacking 72 not out off 35 balls was Mushfiq.

Mushfiq deservedly took the final run to complete the chase. He let out a wild roar in the bowler Thisara Perera’s direction as he took the final run and then proceeded to do the ‘Nagin Dance’.

Sufficed to say, the thousands of Sri Lankans in attendance and the Lankan players didn’t appreciate it. Hence, the ‘Nagin Dance’ saga continued.

The second encounter between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the NIhadas Trophy was a virtual knockout and the effects of the ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration were apparent all around the stadium.

The Sri Lankan crowd displayed placards mocking the Bangladesh players, especially Mushfiq, for the ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration.

Tempers were flaring inside the field as well, which almost came to a boil in the final over.

Bangladesh needed 12 of the final over with Mahmudullah batting on 31 off 15 balls.

After the on-field umpire didn’t signal a wide ball after Sri Lankan pacer Isuru Udana bowled a second over-shoulder bouncer in the over, Shakib stormed to the edge of the boundary ropes and called his batters to come back, which would have resulted in a forfeit.

Players from Bangladesh’s bench and Sri Lankan fielders also got into heated arguments and the match had descended into chaos.

In the end, Khaled Mahmud, the Bangladesh team manager at the time, calmed down Shakib and told Mahmudullah to return to the crease to finish the match.

In the next three deliveries, Mahmudullah hit a four, ran a two and then hit a six over off-side to script a dramatic victory.

The Bangladesh players, led by captain Shakib who was bare chested at that point, stormed to the field to celebrate the victory. And how exactly did they celebrate the victory? By doing the ‘Nagin Dance’ of course, this time directing it towards everyone in the crowd.

After that match, came the final against India. The Indian team is well supported no matter where they play thanks to their diaspora. But perhaps for the first time ever, they received fervent support from neutral fans.

The Sri Lankan fans were furious about what had happened in the previous game and were hoping the Indians would avenge their humiliation in the previous match.

The prayers or the curses of the Sri Lankan fans perhaps did the trick as Bangladesh somehow failed to defend 34 runs in the last two overs and suffered a heartbreaking defeat, much to the delight of the thousands of Sri Lankans in attendance.

And how did the Sri Lankan fans rub in the defeat, you guessed it, they performed the ‘Nagin Dance’.

Four years after the Nidahas Trophy, in Asia Cup 2022, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka faced off in another virtual knockout in the group-stage, after both teams lost to Afghanistan in their opening game.

Bangladesh posted 183-7 but Sri Lanka chased down the target with four balls to spare in a thrilling chase.

As batters Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana celebrated the victory on the field, the camera panned to the Sri Lankan dressing room, where Chamika Karunaratne was smiling ear to ear and doing, do I even need to say it at this point, the ‘Nagin Dance’.

Karunaratne’s celebration, the placards present in the stands and the memes on social media were enough proof that the ‘Nagin Dance’ is not going to go away anytime soon.

And the ironic thing is that Nazmul, the player who inadvertently started this entire fiasco, stopped doing the ‘Nagin Dance’ celebration after the Nidahas Trophy.

But the spark ignited in 2017 is refusing to die down. And no matter what happens in the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Thursday, one thing is for certain, the television viewers will see people doing the ‘Nagin Dance’ on their screen. Now will it be from the field, in the stands or both, that remains to be seen.