‘Need to review scheduling of matches’ – Rajeev Shukla admits scheduling concerns after Lucknow T20I called off due to foggy conditions

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 match had to be cancelled due to fog. The people were upset about it. We will need to review the scheduling of matches between 15 December to 15 January in North India to determine whether we need to shift them to south India or west India. Domestic matches are also being affected due to fog,” Shukla said.

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.

“Rajiv ji, I was saying that apart from scheduling matches in North India in January, Kerala aaiye (come to Kerala),” Tharoor told Shukla.

Tharoor also took to social media, stating the difference in air quality between Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram, believing that the match should have been scheduled in the latter.

“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!” Tharoor wrote on X.

Responding to the criticism, Rajeev Shukla admitted that the BCCI must review its scheduling policies. He stated that matches between December 15 and January 15 could be shifted to South or West India to avoid fog-related disruptions. While noting that Kerala already receives its share of international fixtures due to a rotation policy, Shukla conceded that North Indian winters pose a serious challenge not only for international games but also for domestic cricket.