Colombo, Sri Lanka – The highly anticipated ICC Women's World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Colombo faced multiple unusual interruptions on Sunday, October 5th, due to swarms of insects invading the R. Premadasa Stadium. The bizarre scenes unfolded during India's innings, causing frustration for players and umpires alike.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to field, but the game experienced its first disruption around the 20th over when Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol were at the crease. The insects, initially a minor annoyance, soon became a major distraction, affecting both batters and bowlers. Pakistan spinner Nashra Sandhu was visibly overwhelmed, resorting to using a towel to fend off the insects mid-over.
The situation escalated, prompting the players to seek intervention from the umpires, leading to a brief halt in play. A substitute fielder from Pakistan rushed onto the field carrying insect repellent, and Fatima Sana attempted to spray the insects away. However, this proved largely ineffective as the swarm persisted, continuing to bother the players, including Jemimah Rodrigues.
The umpires decided to halt the match, prompting more comprehensive pest control measures. Two individuals wearing masks and carrying fogging machines entered the field to fumigate the area. The play was stopped for approximately 15 minutes to allow for the fumigation process.
Even after the fumigation, the insect problem wasn't completely resolved. There was another stoppage in the 38th over when a bug flew into Rameen Shamim's eye after she bowled the first delivery. Sneh Rana was also seen trying to keep the bugs away.
The reason for the insect invasion is likely due to the warm and humid conditions in Colombo, which are known to attract insects.
India Women were put into bat after Pakistan won the toss. Smriti Mandhana was dismissed early for 23 runs. Harleen Deol (46 off 65) and Pratika Rawal (31 off 37) stabilized the innings. Richa Ghosh's late cameo of 35 helped India post 247. India were 154 for 4 in 34 overs when play was initially stopped.
Adding to the tense atmosphere, the captains, Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana, did not shake hands at the toss, continuing the tradition from the Asia Cup 2025.
Despite the unusual interruptions, the match eventually resumed, with both teams attempting to maintain focus amidst the ongoing distractions.
