climax of ICC Women’s World Cup 2025grand finale between India And South Africa Navi Mumbai is currently surrounded by huge uncertainty of the weather, a factor which has already greatly affected the knockout stage.
After a tournament marred by multiple abandoned group stage fixtures, the pressure on match officials to deliver a decisive result is immense, yet the prevailing forecast for the venue remains worrying for the two allotted days of the final. The ICC’s carefully detailed playing conditions for knock-out matches, particularly those addressing rain interruptions and washouts, have become the most important off-field elements. These rules are designed to eliminate every available option for completing the game, including the use of a dedicated reserve day, thereby guaranteeing that the World Cup champion is crowned on the field or through strict administrative tie-breakers. The final result depends not only on the performance of the players but also on the cooperation of Mumbai.
Women’s World Cup 2025: ICC protocols for rain interruptions India vs South Africa final
The first and most comprehensive set of rules governs the process of match management in the event of rain interference, ensuring that every effort is made to complete the competition over the two allotted days. The final, scheduled for Sunday, November 2, 2025, at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, comes with an official reserve day on Monday, November 3, and officials will initially attempt to get a result on the primary day, even if this requires a reduction in overs, with a non-negotiable minimum of 20 overs per side required to constitute a legitimate game.
If play is interrupted due to rain and the full 50-over match is not completed, but no official reduction in overs has been made, the match will be completely reset and restarted as a new 50-over match on the reserve day, giving both India and South Africa a completely clean slate. Conversely, if the match is interrupted after the official number of overs has been reduced (for example, 30 overs per side), and play is not able to be restarted, the match will continue on the reserve day from the exact point of interruption under the same reduced overs conditions, maintaining the target and tempo established on the first day. This complex system is designed to provide the greatest possible chance for a fair conclusion and to prevent the trophy being decided by administrative means when a one-day game is possible.
What will be the situation if IND vs SA final in Navi Mumbai gets canceled due to rain?
The final and most dramatic rule comes into play when persistent bad weather proves unbearable, creating a situation where no result can be achieved on the field on both the scheduled day and the reserve day. If play continues to be interrupted by rain, preventing the completion of the mandatory 20 overs per side on both Sunday and Monday, the match is officially declared a ‘no result’, and the winner is determined by a strict administrative contingency.
In this certain scenario, the team finishing higher in the group stage points table will automatically be declared the winner of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 and awarded the trophy, effectively ending the competition without the drama of the final balls. For this specific final, the rule holds a significant advantage for South Africa, who finished the league stage in a better position (third position with 10 points) than India (fourth position with 9 points), a ranking which came down to net run rate. As a result, South Africa would be crowned world champions after a complete defeat, a non-cricket victory that would be a sad ending for the host nation’s fans but a reward for the Proteas’ consistent performances in the early stages of the tournament.
Also read: Ellyse Perry opens up after Australia’s loss to India in the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-finals
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.