The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faced criticism after the fourth T20 match between India and South Africa in Lucknow was abandoned due to poor visibility. BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla was seen discussing with the officials on the field and looked frustrated as the situation got out of control.
This abandonment sparked new debate about the timing and location of international events in northern India during the winter. Notably, this was the third match of the series to be held in the region despite the risk of fog and weather. The second and third T20 were played in New Chandigarh and Dharamshala respectively.
India vs South Africa match had to be canceled due to Lucknow smog
The match was scheduled to start at 7 pm, the toss will take place at 6:30 pm in Lucknow. However, as the situation worsened the authorities were forced to delay the proceedings.
The umpires made their first inspection about 20 minutes after the scheduled time of the toss. Inspections continued into the evening as visibility did not improve. About six tests were conducted before the match was abandoned at 9:30 pm.
Fans inside the stadium and those watching from home were left disappointed. Social media is filled with pictures and videos showing smog covering the ground and the air quality index remaining above 400 overnight.
Hardik Pandya wore a surgical mask during the initial warm-up. After the second delay, the players stopped warming up and returned to the dressing room. Due to uncertainty about the start of the game, many spectators started leaving the stadium by around 9 pm.
Rajeev Shukla looked disappointed during visibility check in Lucknow
During a visibility check in Lucknow, Rajiv Shukla was seen walking towards the middle of the field, where the umpires were inspecting the conditions. He was clearly disappointed as no decision could be taken during the talks with the officials.
The difficult conditions also surprised the players. India spinner Varun Chakravarthy said that he had never played in such a cold venue before and he was finding it difficult to cope with the conditions.
“I have never played on a field that cold, so I found it quite challenging,” Chakraborty said.
This abandonment again put BCCI under pressure on its plan. Air quality was a concern early in the series, with the match in New Chandigarh being played amid severe pollution and the Dharamshala match being held when air quality was rated poor.
They should have scheduled sports in Thiruvananthapuram – Shashi Tharoor
The long delay and eventual cancellation of the match in Lucknow sparked reactions from across the cricket world. Congress leader and cricket fan Shashi Tharoor shared his disappointment over the situation on social media.
Tharoor said fans had to wait without any clarity while the situation continued to worsen. He also questioned the decision of hosting an international match in Lucknow in such circumstances. Tharoor said the game could have been scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Cricket fans have been waiting in vain for the #INDVSSAODI to begin in Lucknow. But due to the dense smog prevalent in most North Indian cities and an AQI of 411, the visibility is too poor to allow a game of cricket. They should have scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where the AQI is around 68 at the moment!” He wrote on X.
Cricket fans are eagerly waiting for it #INDVSSAODI The start will be from Lucknow but due to the dense fog prevalent in most North Indian cities and an AQI of 411, visibility is too low to allow the game of cricket. They should have scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where…
– Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) 17 December 2025
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