Colombo and Rain have been quite the invited duo as they together turned several matches of the ongoing Women's World Cup 2025 into washouts. Sri Lanka is a co-host of the marquee event alongside India, and the matches are being played at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, which is the capital city of the Island nation.

Interestingly, Sri Lanka was not initially awarded the co-hosting rights for the ongoing edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup. However, following the agreement between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that matches between India and Pakistan would be played at a neutral venue, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed in December last year that Sri Lanka would join India as a co-host for the tournament.

Sri Lanka are not only hosting Pakistan matches, but also received their right to play a few home games with R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo as the venue for their group stage fixtures. Except for Team India, the other six participating teams have played in Sri Lanka.

Rainy Colombo Disrupts Tournament Schedule

The decision to award co-hosting rights to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to Sri Lanka has so far been marred by torrential rain between the matches and throwing the tournament schedule into disarray. The teams, especially Pakistan, have been affected by multiple match abandonments.

10 matches have been played so far in Colombo, including the recently concluded game between South Africa and Pakistan, and four of them were abandoned or ended without a result, disrupting the flow of the prestigious tournament. The latest match to have been washed out due to a downpour in Colombo was between New Zealand and Pakistan, forcing both teams to share the points and further complicating the standings on the points table.

The match between South Africa and Pakistan was disrupted multiple times due to heavy showers, forcing the game to be reduced to 40 overs per side. The Proteas managed to post a challenging total of 312/9 in 40 oversbut Pakistan's chase was repeatedly affected by rain, with the innings being revised from 37 to 27, then 25, and eventually 20 overs.

Pakistan were 48/4 in 12 overs, needed to score a mammoth 234 runs in the remaining 8 overs to complete the chase, which proved impossible under the revised conditions, handing South Africa a convincing 150-run victory via the DLS method.

South Africa overcome rain in Colombo to register their fifth straight win, moving to the top of the table defeat for Pakistan, along with two no results, as they get knocked out of semifinal contention.#SAvPAK #ICCWomensWorldCup2025 twitter/JuAFFGI2Q4

- Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 21, 2025

The disruptions of matches due to rain have created uncertainty among teams, affecting their strategies, morale, and the overall flow of the Women's World Cup 2025 in Colombo. A total of 8 points so far have been distributed through washout matches, forcing teams to share the points and adding further complexity to the group standings and semifinal qualifications.

New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have each earned two points from their washout games, but with Bangladesh and Pakistan already eliminated, the points primarily affect New Zealand's standing in the group.

Colombo Matches Come Under Scanner

The matches hosted by Colombo have come under scrutiny due to repeated interruptions that have affected the flow of the tournament, impacted the teams' strategies, and raised questions over contingency planning and venue readiness for the Women's World Cup 2025.

With four matches so far washed out and one game being heavily curtailed, Colombo has become a focal point of criticism, raising questions over suitability as a World Cup venue amid unpredictable weather conditions and repeated disruptions.

The fans and cricket enthusiasts questioned awarding co-hosting rights to Sri Lanka, given that the monsoon rains are common during the October-November period, making the venue prone to frequent interruptions, impacting the smooth conduct of high-stakes World Cup matches.

The last 5 games in Colombo have either been washed out or been significantly impacted by rain Absolutely appalling scheduling for a World Cup! #CWC25 #SAvPAK

- ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) October 21, 2025

The last 5 games in Colombo have either been washed out or been significantly impacted by rain Absolutely appalling scheduling for a World Cup! #CWC25 #SAvPAK

- ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) October 21, 2025

why are they even playing matches in colombo when every match is interrupted due to rain

- wacky shroff (@__jaziba) October 21, 2025

The ICC clowns thought it was a good idea to cohost the World Cup cricket tournament in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in October, which is peak monsoon rain month. 4 no results so far this to help India make it into the final? #CWC25 #CWC2025#PAKvSA #Cricket @ICC @cricketworldcup

- RSm (@liverpoolfc21k) October 21, 2025

The lack of a contingency plan has been massively disappointing. Could they have readied Dambulla given there's been so much rain around in Colombo? Really unfair on the teams that have had to ensure these washouts. Shashank Kishore (@captainshanky) October 21, 2025

The entire women's WC has been reduced to a joke courtesy of this scheduling...6 out of 10 matches in Colombo affected by rain, 4 of them being washed out..Matches in Ind starting at 3 pm, to make them go late into night, and dew skewing it in favour of chasing the side..

- Rahul Kumar (@rahulk_1019) October 21, 2025

Btw what a farce! Absolute shame to schedule WC matches in Colombo with rain forecast!Shit Show! AsliBCCIWomen (@AsliBCCIWomen) October 21, 2025

Has Colombo hosted a CWC match that hadn't been rain interrupted?!? Stillknocks (@comrad_fu) October 21, 2025

Rain peaks in Colombo during October and November. Who thought it was a good idea to choose this venue for the Women's World Cup? A simple search would have shown it's not suitable.#CWC25 twitter/sBJMmj8NxZ

- The Impact Desk (@TheImpactDesk) October 21, 2025

Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium will host the final match of the tournament between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on October 24, but it is expected to face scrutiny due to the ongoing threat of rain.

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