The fourth T20I between India and South Africa never began, but it may yet prove a turning point.
Abandoned without a ball bowled at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on Wednesday night, the match was officially lost to “excessive fog”.
A toxic mix of smog, cold and poor visibility swallowed another winter evening in reality.
Within hours, the Board of Control for Cricket in India acknowledged as much.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the board would review the scheduling of matches held in north India between December 15 and January 15, a window that has repeatedly produced weather-hit games.
“The match had to be cancelled due to fog. People were upset,” Shukla told ANI. “We will review matches scheduled during this period in north India to see if they need to be shifted to south or west India. Even domestic matches are being affected. It is a serious issue.”
Congress MP and noted cricket tragic Shashi Tharoor argued that mid-December to mid-January cricket belongs in the south, where visibility is not hostage to fog.
"Yesterday, the whole nation was frustrated that we could not have the match between South Africa and India. So, my argument simply is that during this period, schedule the matches in south India. My Thiruvananthapuram has a wonderful stadium, we are ready to host people. Come and play," Tharoor said.
Social media proved far less forgiving than administrators.
Fans questioned how a prime-time international match could be scheduled in a city where winter fog is as predictable as the toss.
Many posted images of the Ekana Stadium disappearing into smog, asking why historical weather data had not informed the fixture list.
The abandoned game left India leading the five-match series 2–1, with the finale to be played in Ahmedabad on Friday. But the fallout goes well beyond one T20I.
Lucknow’s air quality index hovered above 400 as players warmed up. Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a surgical mask, while umpires conducted six inspections before calling time at 9.30pm.
By then, players had long retreated indoors and thousands of fans had drifted away, having braved the cold for no cricket at all.
The venue list for the ongoing T20I series between India and South Africa has underlined the risks of hosting matches in north India during peak winter.
Games were scheduled in New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ranchi, cities that routinely face dense fog, poor air quality and extreme cold at this time of year.
Dharamsala hosted the third T20I, which was played in sub-10 degree temperatures, testing players’ endurance and grip.
After the match, India spinner Varun Chakravarthy admitted the conditions were among the toughest he had faced. “I’ve never played on a ground this cold. It was quite challenging,” he said.
The scheduling question becomes sharper when viewed alongside what lies ahead. From December 24, India’s premier 50-over domestic tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy begins, with Jaipur among its venues.
Over the past few days, the city’s Air Quality Index has hovered between poor and unhealthy, underlining how persistent winter pollution has become across North India.
As of Thursday, Jaipur’s AQI stood at around 189, firmly in the poor category.
Weather patterns have added to the problem. Thick fog and an intensifying cold wave have been reported across parts of Rajasthan, reducing visibility and making outdoor sport increasingly uncomfortable.
In January, India will host New Zealand in an ODI series across Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore, before matches shift further south and west. In Vadodara, AQI readings over the past week fluctuated between 155 and 214.
Rajkot followed a similar pattern, with air quality moving from moderate to poor.
Indore offered slightly more respite, dipping back into the moderate range at around 98 on December 18, though it too has oscillated between poor and unhealthy levels through the week.