Muneeba Ali's Out Sparks Controversy In India-Pakistan World Cup Clash

COLOMBO: On Sunday at the R. Premadas Stadium, the drama erupted in the high-stakes ICC Women's World Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan, when opening batsman Muneeba Ali was run out in an unusual manner.

The event occurred on the final ball of the fourth over, when a direct shot from the field impacted the stumps.

This came following an LBW shout; however, Muneeba Ali had grounded her bat far before it, and it was at first not shown on the screen.

However, the third umpire checked again and spotted the bat in the air, with nothing outside the line, and verified on the big screen that it was out.

Meanwhile, skipper Fatima Sana instructed Muneeba to stay on the field while she spoke with the fourth umpire on the boundary line.

According to ICC rules, a batter is adjudged Run Out if, at any stage throughout the ball's flight, he/she is out of the crease and the wicket is fairly shattered by a fielder, regardless of whether a run was attempted.

MCC Law makes it clear that a batter who has reached the crease but slides past it due to forward momentum cannot be run out, as long as their bat or body had touched the ground behind the crease when the stumps were broken.

The controversy added fuel to an already tense encounter, in which India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana avoided a handshake, mirroring a similar incident that happened in the recently held men’s Asia Cup 2025.