Tharoor questions Lucknow venue after India–South Africa T20I abandoned due to smog; Gill set to miss final

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday commented on the fourth T20 International between India and South Africa being abandoned in Lucknow due to dense smog, suggesting the match should have been scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram instead of a north Indian city grappling with severe air pollution.The match was called off without a ball being bowled after visibility at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium was badly affected by a thick blanket of smog on Wednesday evening.Reacting on X, Tharoor said cricket fans had been left waiting in vain for the India–South Africa fixture to begin in Lucknow, but poor visibility caused by widespread smog made play impossible. Pointing to air quality concerns across north India, he said the game should have been held in Thiruvananthapuram, where air quality levels were significantly better.Several north Indian cities, including New Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Chandigarh, remained enveloped in smog through the day. While Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 334 in the “very poor” category, Lucknow registered an AQI of 171, classified as “moderate”, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.However, pollution levels varied across the Uttar Pradesh capital. Three of the city’s six monitoring stations—Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lalbagh and the Talkatora District Industries Centre—recorded AQI levels above 200, placing them in the “poor” category.



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