The abandonment of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa in Lucknow due to dense fog has once again placed the Board of Control for Cricket in India's BCCI winter scheduling under criticism. With no ball bowled despite multiple inspections, the incident triggered widespread criticism from fans and political figures, forcing BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla to accept that match scheduling during North Indian winters needs serious re-evaluation.
The fourth T20I of the five-match series, scheduled at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on December 17, was abandoned due to poor visibility caused by excessive fog. Match officials conducted six inspections, including visual checks from the boundary to spot the white ball, before calling off the game at 9.26 pm. While the Air Quality Index AQI in Lucknow hovered in the hazardous 400s, umpires cited visibility as the primary concern. The washout left India leading the series 2-1, with the decider scheduled in Ahmedabad.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opened up about the BCCI's decision to host a night match in North India during peak winter. Speaking to the media and later confronting Shukla outside Parliament, Tharoor urged the board to move winter matches to South India, particularly Kerala, where fog and pollution are far less prevalent. He pointed out that cricket cannot be played if the ball is not visible and argued that fans deserve better planning.
