IND vs PAK | Pakistan lose Muneeba early after bizarre run-out in World Cup clash
Colombo: Pakistan suffered an early setback in their chase of 248 against India in their high-octane ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium, with opener Muneeba Ali run out in bizarre fashion.
The left-hander was caught short of her crease after a sharp direct hit from Deepti Sharma, with replays confirming her bat was not grounded when the stumps were broken.
Earlier, India posted a competitive total of 247 all out in 50 overs, powered by a fiery 35 off 20 balls from Richa Ghosh late in the innings. Harleen Deol top-scored with 46, while Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Pratika Rawal (31), and Smriti Mandhana (23) all made useful contributions but failed to convert their starts.
The match was notably disrupted twice due to an unexpected surge in flies and bugs at the venue. On both occasions, play had to be halted, and at one point, players left the field while ground staff sprayed pest control chemicals to manage the situation.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to bowl in the women's cricket World Cup match against archrival India at R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
The captains did not shake hands during the toss amid political tensions between the two South Asian neighbors, a trend carried over from the recently concluded men's Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
India has accused Pakistan of being involved in attacks on tourists that killed dozens.
India men's team captain Surya Kumara Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart in the first preliminary-round match between the two sides, prompting Pakistan to threaten to boycott the game. Commentators and fans blamed both sides for behaving against the spirit of the game during the tournament.
India and Pakistan ended up progressing to the tournament final, which ended in acrimonious fashion after India captain Yadav refused to accept the winner's trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's interior minister.
In Sunday's game, India's Amanjot Kaur, who made a half-century in the tournament opener against Sri Lanka, has been ruled out due to illness. Pakistan made one change from the side that lost to Bangladesh, bringing in Sadaf Shamas in place of Omaima Sohail.