Women's WC: Was Muneeba Ali's controversial run-out against India legitimate?
What's the story
A controversial run-out of Pakistan's Muneeba Ali made headlines in the India-Pakistan ICC Women's World Cup match at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. It all transpired when Pakistan attempted to chase down 248 after bowling India out. The Women in Green eventually fell short. On the last ball of the fourth, Kranti Gaud bowled a full delivery targeting middle and leg. Muneeba missed it despite flicking and had to depart after an unfortunate run-out.
Dismissal details
What exactly happened?
The ball that Muneeba missed deflected off her pads toward the second slip. Despite an on-field LBW appeal being turned down, Deepti Sharma quickly collected the ball and hit the stumps at the batter's end. The third umpire intervened, showing that Muneeba had initially grounded her bat but lifted it just as the bails were disturbed. This led to the third umpire declaring Muneeba out, leaving her visibly upset. Notably, the Pakistan batter was initially given not out.
Review revelation
Ball tracking showed that India would have got a wicket
Ball tracking later confirmed that if India had reviewed the on-field umpire's LBW decision, Muneeba would have been out. The incident added to the tension on the field, which was already high due to earlier controversies over the toss. Umpire Shandre Fritz mistakenly had declared Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana as the winner after mishearing her call of "tails" as "heads."
Twitter Post
Here is the video!
What just happened there? 😮👀
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 5, 2025
Appeal? Not out? But wait... Deepti Sharma's sharp instincts helped #TeamIndia get the first breakthrough! 💪🏻🇮🇳
Catch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/CdmEhf3jle#CWC25 👉 #INDvPAK | LIVE NOW on Star Sports network & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/TVxuoGfYC4
MCC laws
What do MCC laws state?
As per to MCC's article 30.1, "a batter shall be considered to be out of her ground unless some part of her person or bat is grounded behind the popping crease at that end. However, as per article 30.1.2, a batter shall not be considered to be out of her ground if, in running or diving towards her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of her person or bat beyond the popping crease."
Diplomatic tensions
No handshakes at the toss
Notably, there were no handshakes between Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Sana at the toss, reflecting their teams' strained relations. Players from both sides also skipped formal greetings before the national anthems. The rivalry has been intense lately with India and Pakistan meeting thrice during last month's men's Asia Cup in UAE without any post-match handshakes amid heightened tensions following a deadly border conflict in May.
Result
India beat Pakistan by 88 runs
Despite the run-out controversy, India won the match by a whopping 88 runs. Harleen Deol (46 off 65 balls) and Richa Ghosh (35 off 20 balls) helped India post a competitive total of 247 runs on a slow pitch. Pacer Kranti Gaud (3/20) wreaked havoc on Pakistan's top order while spinners took care of the middle order and tail. With this win, India maintained their flawless head-to-head WODI record against Pakistan at 12-0.