Smog forces abandonment of India vs South Africa 4th T20I in Lucknow

The toss, scheduled for 6:30 pm IST, was repeatedly delayed as thick fog engulfed the Ekana Stadium.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said umpires conducted multiple inspections at 6:50 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:30 pm and again at 9:00 pm, but conditions failed to improve. Following a final inspection at 9:25 pm, officials decided to abandon the match.

While fog was cited as the official reason for the washout, several players and fans pointed to severe air pollution as a key factor.

Social media users questioned whether the poor visibility was caused by fog alone, with many describing the conditions as smog rather than weather-related mist.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the scale of the problem, noting that Lucknow’s air quality index stood at 411 on match day. “Visibility is too poor to permit a game of cricket,” Tharoor wrote on X, suggesting that the match should have been scheduled in cities with cleaner air.

Images of Indian players, including Hardik Pandya wearing a face mask during warm-up, further fuelled concerns over player safety in the toxic air.

Fans criticised the BCCI’s scheduling, calling it irresponsible to host matches in cities experiencing hazardous pollution levels.

The abandoned match denied spectators a decisive contest, with India needing a win to seal the five-match series.

Commentator and former India cricketer Robin Uthappa expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, questioning whether conditions were ever likely to improve as the night progressed.

The series now moves to Ahmedabad, where the fifth and final T20I will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on December 19.