What was expected to be a thrilling evening of cricket in Lucknow ended in frustration as dense fog forced the abandonment of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa. Poor visibility ruled the night, leaving fans disappointed and players helpless at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Why Was India vs South Africa 4th T20I Abandoned?
The toss was scheduled for 6:30 PM on Wednesday. However, heavy fog covered the ground well before that. Umpires carried out seven inspections over nearly three hours. Visibility failed to improve. At around 9:30 PM, officials finally called off the match without a single ball being bowled.
The decision sparked anger among spectators who had waited patiently in the stands. Fog levels remained unsafe throughout the evening. Even players struggled to stay outside for long.
Fog at Ekana Stadium Leaves Players Stranded
The fog was so intense that Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a protective mask. South African players stepped out briefly for a warm-up but soon returned to the dressing room.
Broadcasters Robin Uthappa and Dale Steyn appeared confused by the long delay. They questioned why the decision took so long when conditions continued to worsen.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla also stepped in during one of the inspections. He was seen discussing the situation with the match officials.
What Happens to Ticket Refunds?
Fans quickly raised concerns about refunds. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified that the matter does not fall under the board’s control.
He said, “That is under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So, this game’s hosting state is the UPCA. So, they will be able to tell you about this, and they are the competent authority.”
He added, “Everything in ticketing is done by the state association, as the BCCI just gives them the hosting rights and all these things are taken care of and are under the domain of the state association.”
As per BCCI policy, fans are eligible for refunds, minus charges, if a match gets abandoned before the first delivery.
BCCI Explains Fog Situation in North India
Addressing scheduling concerns, Saikia said the fog was unexpected for December.
He explained, “No, it is a solitary weather situation. Normally we have this kind of weather in the month of January. This time it is quite early, number one, and number two, we had a match in Dharamsala also the other day.”
He added, “So you cannot predict fog, and rain. Nowadays cricket is a throughout the year annual event for 12, and we have to have the matches.”
Saikia also pointed out that BCCI has already adjusted domestic schedules to avoid fog-prone months.
He said, “When we saw that there were big disturbances from fog in northern India in the month of January, we already restructured our domestic cricket matches.”
Calling the Lucknow incident rare, he added, “This Lucknow incident is an exceptional weather condition.”
Series Situation After Abandoned Match
India currently leads the five-match T20I series 2-1. The abandoned game means the fifth and final T20I becomes a decider.
If India wins, they will take the series 3-1. A South Africa win will result in a drawn series.
The washout has once again highlighted winter weather risks in North India. With fog disrupting matches and fans losing out, calls for better planning are likely to grow louder.
