Women’s World Cup 2025: What happens if the AUS vs IND Semi-Final 2 in Navi Mumbai is washed out?

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A blockbuster showdown awaits at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai as India take on defending champions Australia in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. However, amid all the excitement, there’s one major concern — the threat of heavy rain that could jeopardize the host nation’s dream of reaching the final.

South Africa have already sealed their berth in the grand finale after defeating England in a thrilling first semi-final in Guwahati. The winner of today’s clash is set to meet the Proteas in the championship match on November 2, also in Navi Mumbai. But with rain clouds hovering over the city, fans are now turning their attention from team combinations to weather predictions and tournament rules.

The weather in Navi Mumbai has been far from ideal in recent days. Intermittent rain showers have persisted since the start of the week, leading to waterlogged conditions in several parts of the city. Notably, India’s final league game against Bangladesh was completely washed out due to rain, though that result had little impact on the standings.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t be worse this time. While early forecasts suggest only a seven percent chance of rain at the scheduled start time of 3:00 PM IST, meteorologists warn that precipitation could increase during the evening — precisely when the game would reach its crucial middle overs. The unpredictability of monsoon-like weather in late October has everyone on edge, from players to ground staff.

Also READ: IND-W vs AUS-W, Women’s World Cup 2nd Semi-Final Match Prediction: Who will win today’s game between India Women and Australia Women?

To minimize the risk of an inconclusive result in a knockout fixture, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has detailed provisions to ensure a fair outcome. The first goal is always to complete the match on the scheduled day. Even if the full 50 overs per side cannot be played, the game can still be shortened — with a minimum of 20 overs per team required for a result to be declared using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

The most worrying possibility for Indian supporters is a complete washout across both days. If rain prevents at least 20 overs per side from being completed on both the scheduled day and the reserve day, the match will be officially abandoned. In such a scenario, the team ranked higher in the group stage automatically progresses to the final. Unfortunately for India, Australia topped the league standings, while India finished at the fourth spot. That means if the rain refuses to relent, Australia will qualify for the final without a ball being bowled.

Also READ: Meg Lanning predicts the finalists of Women’s World Cup 2025

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.