Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday suggested the fourth India-South Africa T20I should have been held in his Lok Sabha constituency, Thiruvananthapuram, after the Lucknow match was called off due to dense smog. Posting on X, he cited poor visibility and an AQI of 411, contrasting it with Thiruvananthapuram’s AQI of about 68.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday suggested the India versus South Africa fourth T20I should have been held in his Parliamentary constituency, Thiruvananthapuram, after the match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow was called off as the toss could not happen following several delays due to a thick blanket of smog that covered the ground.

The Congress leader took to X and said, "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!"

India were scheduled to play the fourth match of the five-match T20I series against South Africa. However, the toss was repeatedly delayed as thick fog enveloped the venue, prompting the umpires to conduct multiple ground inspections throughout the evening.

IMD Prediction Ignored

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued an orange alert for very dense fog in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, with visibility at the stadium severely affected.