NEW DELHI: The ICC Women's World Cup will have a new champion for the first time as India and South Africa lock horns in the final in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. The title clash is expected to be a blockbuster, but it all boils down to the Mumbai weather, with rain threatening to play spoilsport and leave fans holding their breath.
As per the latest forecast, scattered showers are expected in Navi Mumbai with rain chances ranging between 25% and 50% through the afternoon and evening. High humidity and shifting
cloud cover could lead to intermittent interruptions during play. Temperatures are likely to peak around 34°C during the day before easing to about 25°C by nightfall.
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However, if rain continues to interrupt play on Sunday, the ICC has scheduled a reserve day to ensure that no deserving team is deprived of a chance to win the elusive title. The match will resume on Monday if rain prevents play on Sunday.
If rain disrupts play during the final, match officials will make every effort to finish the game on the same day, even if it requires a reduction in overs. According to ICC regulations, at least 20 overs must be bowled to each side for a result to be declared. Should that not be achievable, the match will resume from the exact point it was halted on the reserve day.
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Scenarios in case the match is not completed on Sunday
* If rain interrupts play and the game can't be completed on Sunday, it resumes on Monday from the same situation.
* If a truncated match resumes and is halted again, the reduced overs will carry over to the reserve day.
* And if the reserve day is also washed out, India and South Africa will share the trophy as joint winners - a first in Women's World Cup history.
India will look to finally end their long-standing ICC trophy drought as their nine-run loss to England in the 2017 ODI World Cup final still lingers painfully for those who were part of that campaign, including Harmanpreet Kaur.
