Rain has delayed the start of the 2025 Women’s World Cup final. Here are the various possible scenarios.
What is the weather forecast for the final?
Neither India nor South Africa has won the Women’s ODI World Cup till date. The 2025 final at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, the first without both Australia and England, will thus guarantee a new champion.
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Unfortunately, rain is predicted for the day. Rain has chased the teams throughout the World Cup. At the time of this update (3pm local time – the scheduled starting time), there is a persistent drizzle at the venue. The start has already been delayed, and it is already past the scheduled toss time of 2.30pm local time.
However, as per the ICC playing condition 13.6.3 for the 2025 Women’s World Cup, there will be a reserve day for the final, on November 3 (the day after the scheduled day for the final).
Read: Where the Women’s World Cup final can be won or lost
Final, India Women vs South Africa Women
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Right, so there is a reserve day: how do they utilise it?
The playing conditions state: “The Semi-Finals and Final shall have a reserve day allocated on which an incomplete match shall be continued from the scheduled day. No other matches shall have a reserve day allocated.
“If the reserve day is allocated, every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day.
“If the match has started on the scheduled day and overs are subsequently reduced following an interruption, but no further play is possible, the match will resume on the reserve day at the point where the last ball was played.”
In other words, the final will be contested like a two-day, 100-over game, and over reductions will take place based on two days of cricket. It is worth a mention that the a full game requires either both teams batting 20 overs each or a direct result.
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However, the officials will aim to finish the game on the first day (September 2) even if that requires a reduction of overs.
Will it still be a reduced-over game if the reserve day is used?
Yes and no. Consider a rain break after 10 overs of a 50-over game and the umpires deciding on a 40-over contest.
If it rains again before another ball is bowled, preventing further play on the day, the match will resume as a 50-over contest on the reserve day. However, if even one ball is bowled after resumption on the original day, the final will be played out as a 40-over game.
What are the cut-off times for both days?
The scheduled first innings hours are from 3pm to 6.10pm, while the second innings will be played between 6.40pm and 9.50pm. However, there are two hours (instead of the usual one hour for league games) of extra time scheduled before we start losing overs.
Appendix H states: “If play is interrupted on the scheduled day, the umpires shall use the available extra time and, if necessary, reduce the number of overs to try to achieve a result on that day.”
For a 20-over game, the match must begin at at least 9.08pm on the reserve day.
What if there is no result even after the reserve day?
Condition 16.10.4 addresses that, including the extremely rare scenario of there being a tied game, followed by rain: “If following a tie, weather conditions prevent the Super Over from being completed, or if the match is abandoned or a no result at the end of the reserve day, the teams shall be declared joint winners.”
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