The fourth international match of the T20 series between India and South Africa was canceled on Wednesday due to poor visibility. This match was to be played at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, but the match could not be played due to dense fog. People are venting their anger on BCCI for the match being canceled due to weather, while Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav blamed pollution for the match being canceled and said, “You should cover your face because you are in Lucknow.”
After the match was cancelled, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav shared two photos from inside the Ekana Stadium and said, “Delhi’s pollution has now reached Lucknow. That is why the international cricket match cannot be held here. And the main reason for this is not fog, but smog.”
“BJP people do not care about humanity or the environment.”
He further said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government wants to spoil the air of Lucknow by running programs in the parks built to clean the air. The BJP people do not care about humanity or the environment.” “Cover your face because you are in Lucknow,” he joked.
Delhi’s pollution has now reached Lucknow. That is why the international cricket match cannot be held in Lucknow. Actually, the reason for this is not smog, but fog.
Senior Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor also criticized it. Posting on social media platform
Delhi’s pollution has now reached Lucknow. That is why the international cricket match to be held in Lucknow is not taking place. Actually the reason for this is not fog but smog.
The parks that we had built for the pure air of Lucknow, the BJP government wants to destroy them by carrying out investments there too… pic.twitter.com/X71TvretcV
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) December 17, 2025
Fog in North India in winter season
However, during the winter months, most parts of North India are shrouded in dense fog and visibility is greatly reduced. Holding cricket matches there is beyond comprehension, and serious questions are being raised on the schedule of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Earlier, New Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Lucknow, Ranchi and Raipur, Visakhapatnam, Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Kolkata were selected for the entire cricket series with the South African team in November and December.
The fourth match of the five-match T20 series between the two teams was officially abandoned without a single ball being bowled due to dense fog, but it is being said that a thick layer of pollution and smog had accumulated at the Ekana Stadium, due to which visibility became very low and the match had to be cancelled.
