**Women’s WC: Was Muneeba Ali’s Controversial Run-Out Against India Legitimate?**
*By Parth Dhall | Oct 06, 2025, 11:07 AM*
A controversial run-out involving Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali became the centre of attention during the India-Pakistan ICC Women’s World Cup match held at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. The match saw Pakistan chasing a target of 248 after bowling out India, but ultimately, the Women in Green fell short.
### The Incident
On the final ball of the fourth over, Indian pacer Kranti Gaud delivered a full ball targeting middle and leg stump. Muneeba Ali attempted to flick the ball but missed. The ball deflected off her pads towards the second slip. Although the on-field umpire turned down an LBW appeal, Deepti Sharma quickly gathered the ball and hit the stumps at the batter’s end.
The third umpire reviewed the run-out and found that Muneeba had initially grounded her bat inside the crease but lifted it just as the bails were dislodged. As a result, the third umpire declared Muneeba out, a decision that left the batter visibly upset. Notably, she was originally given not out on the field.
### Review Revelation
Ball tracking technology later revealed that if India had chosen to review the on-field LBW decision, Muneeba would have been ruled out. This added fuel to the tension during an already intense match, compounded by an earlier controversy involving the toss.
### Toss Controversy
During the toss, umpire Shandre Fritz mistakenly declared Pakistan captain Fatima Sana as the winner after mishearing her call of “tails” as “heads.” Furthermore, in a sign of the strained relations between the two teams, there were no handshakes between Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana before the toss. Players from both sides also skipped formal greetings prior to the national anthems.
### MCC Laws on the Run-Out
According to the MCC Laws of Cricket (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, Article 30.1.2 clarifies that a batter shall not be out if, while running or diving towards her ground, she has grounded some part of her person or bat beyond the popping crease.
In Muneeba’s case, the third umpire ruled that since she lifted her bat off the ground as the bails were broken, she was out of her ground, thus legitimizing the run-out under MCC laws.
### Diplomatic Tensions Reflected On-Field
The match highlighted the ongoing rivalry and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, especially after recent conflicts and the absence of post-match handshakes during the men’s Asia Cup last month. The lack of traditional courtesies such as handshakes and greetings at the toss further underscored the strained relations between the two sides.
### Match Result
Despite the run-out controversy, India secured a commanding victory over Pakistan by 88 runs. Contributions from Harleen Deol (46 off 65 balls) and Richa Ghosh (35 off 20 balls) helped India amass a competitive total of 247 on a slow pitch. Kranti Gaud’s impressive bowling figures of 3/20 caused early damage to Pakistan’s top order, with spinners finishing off the middle and lower order.
This win marked India’s 12th consecutive Women’s ODI victory over Pakistan, maintaining their flawless head-to-head record.
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**Watch the run-out incident [here].**
The match was a reminder of both the sporting rivalry and complex diplomatic dynamics between the two cricketing neighbours as the tournament progresses.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/legitimate-or-not-debate-over-muneeba-ali-s-dismissal-against-india/story
