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Shashi Tharoor joins BCCI slamming; backs AQI 68 venue after fog cancels IND vs SA T20I

Soumyajit Dutta

Shashi Tharoor slams venue choice [Source: @CivitasSameer/X]Shashi Tharoor slams venue choice [Source: @CivitasSameer/X]

The India vs South Africa 4th T20I scheduled at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on December 17 was abandoned due to excessive fog that cloaked the place. 

This led to huge unrest on social media as fans slammed BCCI and the management for not choosing an apt venue amidst the low air quality in north Indian cities.

Amid the severe criticisms, Shashi Tharoor, an Indian politician and an avid follower of cricket, joined hands by slamming the venue choice while backing Thiruvananthapuram as the probable and ideal replacement.

Shashi Tharoor slams Lucknow’s AQI after match abandonment

Shashi Tharoor, who is known for his online banters and witty and frequent comments on cricket, is an MP for the state of Thiruvananthapuram and is a self-proclaimed ‘cricket fan’ as mentioned in his X handle.

Given his frequent updates on social media on the happenings around Indian cricket and Kerala Cricket, Tharoor critiqued the Air Quality Index of Lucknow on the match night (411) while praising Thiruvananthapuram’s AQI of 68.

“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 his X wall.

Netizens were quick to pick on the tweet as they replied to Tharoor’s post. One user commented, “Bro is appreciating AQI 68 like it's Switzerland”. 

Another one wrote, “No. Thiruvananthapuram will get its share of matches but only in peak Monsoon season. In winters, we have it reserved for Delhi, Dharmshala and North India and in summers in Chennai.”

While netizens were divided on Tharoor’s comment on whether Lucknow was a good place to schedule or not, Indian fans and the fans in the stadium bore the brunt of the mishap.

Dense fog at Ekana Stadium delayed the toss

The toss for the match, which was scheduled at exactly 6:30 PM IST, got delayed due to the fog/smog by 20 minutes, and the game never resumed from there. 

The inspection rounds dragged on till 9:25 PM IST amid high AQI of 431 and dense fogs. At 9:30 PM IST, the match was finally declared abandoned.

Now, India await the 5th T20I at Ahmedabad as it serves to be a decider. If South Africa wins, the series ends in a draw as the hosts lead the series 2-1 currently.