A general view of stadium during the 4th T20I match between India and South Africa at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, India on December 17, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)After intense fog in Lucknow led to the cancellation of the 4th T20I match between India and South Africa, Rajeev Shukla, VP- BCCI Executive Board, said that in the future the cricket body will take on a decision on if the matches which are scheduled from December 15 to January 15 in North India can be shifted to the south or the west of the country.
“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 on Thursday to ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Lucknow India vs South Africa match cancellation, VP- BCCI Executive Board, Rajeev Shukla says,” 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… pic.twitter.com/vO7LsHS4DL
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also urged Shukla to shift winter schedule matches to South India, after Wednesday’s India vs South Africa T20I match in Lucknow was cancelled due to fog.
“Rajiv ji, I was saying that apart from scheduling matches in North India in January, Kerala aaiye (come to Kerala),” Tharoor said. To which Shukla reiterated what he had said earlier that there should be a close inspection on the schedule. “The scheduling of the December 15 to January 15 matches in North India will have to be looked into. Kerala already gets them; there is a rotation policy in place,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi | Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urges VP- BCCI Executive Board, Rajeev Shukla, to shift winter schedule matches to South India, after yesterday’s India vs South Africa T20I match in Lucknow was cancelled due to fog. pic.twitter.com/Doq0hHZvCa
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025
The fixture being abandoned raises questions over the BCCI’s winter scheduling for this crucial leg of matches before the T20 World Cup in February-March.
It was the first time a night T20I was scheduled at the 50,000-seater venue in December. It will now have the dubious distinction of hosting the first major international match in India called off due to fog.
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