The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued an official statement on the fourth T20I match between India and South Africa, which was abandoned due to heavy fog in Lucknow. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is responsible for handling ticket refunds.
Heavy fog forced the abandonment of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, December 17. Without a result, the Men in Blue lead 2-1 in the series, which will be decided in the fifth and final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on December 19.
Fog forces abandonment of the fourth T20I in Lucknow
The fourth T20I in Lucknow was delayed by several hours due to poor visibility due to fog. The toss was scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m., but it was canceled because conditions were unsafe. Referees made several inspections throughout the evening to check whether play could start.
Checks were carried out at regular intervals, but the vision did not improve at any time. After repeated inspections failed to yield a positive result, the referees finally abandoned the match at 9:30 p.m. No ball was bowled during the match.
With the match canceled, India are leading 2-1 in the five-match series. The shutdown has raised questions about scheduling international competitions in the winter. Notably, India will host the T20 World Cup in February-March next year.
Everything related to ticketing is done by the State Association – BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia
Fans who had purchased tickets were left without any form of play. Many spectators are now looking for clarity on whether they will get their money back.
Devajit Saikia explained that reimbursement decisions are not under the direct control of the board. He said the entire ticketing process, including refunds, will be handled by the host association.
“That falls under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So the host state of this game is the UPCA. So they will be able to tell you about this and they are the competent authority,” Saikia told IANS on Thursday.
“Everything in terms of ticketing is done by the state association as the BCCI only gives them the hosting rights and all these things are taken care of and come under the domain of the state association,” he added.
It’s a lonely weather situation – Devajit Saikia
Hardik Pandya was seen on the field wearing a mask as fog and poor air quality worsened. The situation highlighted long-standing concerns about hosting matches in northern India during winter, although officials described the shutdown as an unusual case rather than a regular problem.
“No, it’s a lonely weather situation. Normally we have this kind of weather in the month of January. This time it’s quite early, number one and number two, we also had a match in Dharamsala recently. Dharamsala is a much colder place. So you can’t predict fog and rain. Nowadays, cricket is an annual event for 12 people all year round, and we have to have the matches.”
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