IND vs SA 4th T20 called off as dense fog ensures no play in Lucknow
The sixth inspection at 9:25 pm effectively ended hopes of any play, even as officials explored the possibility of staging a five-overs-a-side contest
 "IND vs SA 4th T20 called off as dense fog ensures no play in Lucknow")
The inevitable happened on Wednesday as the fourth T20 International between India and South Africa was called off due to poor visibility caused by dense fog at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
The abandonment came as a major disappointment for fans who had flocked to the stadium to cheer Team India. Lucknow was hosting a T20 match after a gap of nearly 35 months, with the last such fixture at the venue having taken place on January 29, 2023.
The toss was scheduled for 6:30 pm, but worsening visibility forced officials to delay proceedings. Conditions failed to improve despite umpires conducting multiple inspections at 7:30 pm, 8 pm, 8:30 pm, 9 pm and finally at 9:25 pm.
The sixth inspection effectively ended hopes of any play, even as officials explored the possibility of staging a five-overs-a-side contest. The cut-off time for a five-over match was 9:46 pm, but persistent fog made play unsafe, leading to the eventual call-off without a toss.
While weather conditions remain beyond anyone’s control, the cancellation once again raised questions over scheduling international matches in North India during peak winter months. From November to January, fog frequently disrupts visibility across the region, and this match ended without a single ball being bowled.
Ekana Stadium and winter scheduling
Before Wednesday’s abandoned fixture, the Ekana Stadium had hosted six T20I matches. Notably, this was the first T20I at the venue to be scheduled in December. All previous matches were held in November, January or February — months that are still prone to fog but often offer relatively better playing windows.
| T20I matches in Lucknow's Ekana Stadium | |||||
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Winner | Margin | Ground | Match Date |
| India | New Zealand | India | 6 wickets | Lucknow | Jan 29, 2023 |
| India | Sri Lanka | India | 62 runs | Lucknow | Feb 24, 2022 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | Afghanistan | 29 runs | Lucknow | Nov 17, 2019 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | Afghanistan | 41 runs | Lucknow | Nov 16, 2019 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | West Indies | 30 runs | Lucknow | Nov 14, 2019 |
| India | West Indies | India | 71 runs | Lucknow | Nov 6, 2018 |
Source: espncricinfo ODIs at Ekana Stadium
The venue has also hosted several ODI matches, most of them scheduled during October and November, largely avoiding the peak fog period of December and January.
ODI matches at Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
| List of ODI matches played at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | |||||
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Winner | Margin | Ground | Match Date |
| Afghanistan | Netherlands | Afghanistan | 7 wickets | Lucknow | Nov 3, 2023 |
| India | England | India | 100 runs | Lucknow | Oct 29, 2023 |
| Netherlands | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 5 wickets | Lucknow | Oct 21, 2023 |
| Australia | Sri Lanka | Australia | 5 wickets | Lucknow | Oct 16, 2023 |
| Australia | South Africa | South Africa | 134 runs | Lucknow | Oct 12, 2023 |
| India | South Africa | South Africa | 9 runs | Lucknow | Oct 6, 2022 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | West Indies | 5 wickets | Lucknow | Nov 11, 2019 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | West Indies | 47 runs | Lucknow | Nov 9, 2019 |
| Afghanistan | West Indies | West Indies | 7 wickets | Lucknow | Nov 6, 2019 |
The abandonment once again underlined the challenges of hosting evening international matches in North India during winter, when fog and smog can quickly derail even the best-laid plans.