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ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025: Was Muneeba Ali Rightly Given Run Out Even After Grounding Her Bat? Explained

Pakistan Women’s opener Muneeba Ali was dismissed in a bizarre fashion during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match against India Women in Colombo. She managed to score only two runs before her dismissal.

ICC Women: The incident took place on the final delivery of the fourth over. Kranti Goud’s delivery struck Muneeba on the pads, prompting a loud appeal from the Indian players. The umpire, however, ruled it not out. While Muneeba, who had stepped out of her crease, placed her bat inside to regain safety, Deepti Sharma’s throw hit the stumps.

In a strange turn of events, Muneeba lifted her bat after grounding it, just as the ball hit the stumps. The Indian players appealed again, and the on-field umpires referred the decision to the TV umpire for review.

Replays showed that Muneeba had grounded her bat before raising it again just as the ball struck the stumps. After a long review, third umpire Keerin Klaaste gave the decision in India’s favor, delighting the Indian players but leaving the Pakistani team and viewers worldwide confused about what had actually happened.

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana was then seen engaging in a heated discussion with fourth umpire Kim Cotton near the boundary line while Muneeba stood waiting to walk off the field. Eventually, she made her way back to the pavilion.

ICC Women Here’s what the rulebook states:

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025: Was Muneeba Ali Rightly Given Run Out Even After Grounding Her Bat? Explained

According to Law 30.1.1 of the cricket rulebook, a batter is considered out of her ground unless part of her body or bat is grounded behind the popping crease at that end.

ICC Women: However, Law 30.1.2 clarifies that a batter is not regarded as out of her ground if, while running or diving toward her crease (and having grounded her bat or body behind the line), she temporarily loses contact with the ground or bat.

In Muneeba’s case, her dismissal was an interpretation of Law 30.1.2. She had initially grounded her bat, but lifted it again just before the ball hit the stumps — leading to her being given out.

ICC Women Commentator Jones explained it as follows:

“According to Law 30.1.2, a batter is not out of her ground while running or diving toward her crease if she has already grounded her bat beyond the popping crease. But in Muneeba’s case, she wasn’t running or diving — and that’s why she was given out.”

While clause 30.1.2 doesn’t explicitly declare Muneeba out, the fact that she was diving or running past the crease clearly implied her dismissal.

ICC Women: Another point of debate in the incident was the TV umpire’s hesitation. Initially, it seemed the umpire was satisfied that Muneeba’s bat was grounded and not out. However, after reviewing the footage again—running through the replay until the moment her bat lifted and the stumps lit up—the decision became contentious.

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