Kerala should've hosted: Tharoor as IND-SA Lucknow T20I called off due to smog

Congress MP and senior party leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday slammed the BCCI for choosing to organise the India versus South Africa fourth T20I in Lucknow after the match was called off as the toss could not happen following several delays due to a thick blanket of smog that covered the ground. He suggested the match could rather be held in Thiruvananthapuram, his Parliamentary constituency, where the air quality and the visibility is much better.

"Cricket fans have been waiting in vain for the #INDVSSAODI to start in Lucknow. But thanks to dense smog, pervasive in most north Indian cities, and an AQI of 411, visibility is too poor to permit a game of cricket. They should’ve scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where AQI is about 68 right now!" the Thiruvananthapuram MP posted on X moments before the match was abandoned.

The match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium could not proceed after the toss was delayed several times due to dense smog.

Officials monitored the situation closely, but with player safety at risk, the decision was made to abandon the game without a ball being bowled.

However, the abandonement sparked widespread frustration among spectators, many of whom questioned the decision to host an international fixture at a northern venue during peak winter.

Critics argued that the board should have foreseen weather-related disruptions common to the region at this time of year and planned the schedule accordingly.

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