BCCI’s Rajeev Shukla admits scheduling concerns after Shashi Tharoor raises Lucknow T20 issue in Parliament: ‘Come to Kerala’

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla was confronted by fellow Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor on Thursday outside the parliament over scheduling night matches in North India during winter after the India vs South Africa 4th T20 was called off on Wednesday due to “excessive fog.”

While matches getting abandoned due to rain is not rare, an international game being called off without a ball being bowled due to fog is a highly rare incident. The BCCI received a lot of flak from the fans after the Lucknow T20 was called off around 9.30 pm local time on 17 December following six inspections by match officials. As a result, India still lead the series 2-1 and the decider will be played on 19 December at Ahmedabad.

Shashi Tharoor was among one of the most popular names who questioned BCCI’s decision to hold a night game in North India during winters when fog is a common phenomenon. He said on X that the match should have been played in Thiruvananthapuram, which has better air quality than Lucknow.

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“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 X.

BCCI admits scheduling rethink after Lucknow T20 is abandoned

On Thursday, Tharoor was seen making the same request personally to BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla outside the parliament, as the cricket board official admitted that they need to be more mindful of weather conditions while making the schedule.

“Rajiv ji, I was saying that apart from scheduling matches in North India in January, Kerala aaiye (come to Kerala),” Tharoor told Shukla.

#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

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Replying to Tharoor’s suggestion, Shukla said: “Woh scheduling mein dhiyan dena padega (the scheduling will have to be looked into). From December 15 to January 15, can we allocate matches to South India instead of North India? Kerala already gets them; there is a rotation policy in place."

International matches in North India in winter have been a major contentious issue in India, with fears of smog and poor air quality. Overseas players have often been seen wearing masks to protect themselves from bad air quality. On Wednesday, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was also seen wearing a mask at the Ekana Stadium, underlining the poor scheduling.