4th T20I between India and SA abandoned due to fog in Lucknow

The fourth T20 International between India and South Africa was abandoned without a ball being bowled at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium  in Lucknow on Wednesday due to excessive fog and poor visibility. Umpires Rohan Pandit and K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan delayed the toss and carried out multiple inspections throughout the evening. Despite repeated checks, including a final inspection at 9:25 pm by assessing visibility from the batter’s crease, conditions failed to improve and the match was officially called off at 9:30 pm local time. The abandonment disappointed fans who had turned up in large numbers at the stadium.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: The fourth T20I between India and South Africa has been abandoned due to excessive fog at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium

A fan says, "...We are very disappointed and we want this match to be rescheduled" pic.twitter.com/CHF5HE4dQI

— IANS (@ians_india) December 17, 2025

With no play possible, India remain 2–1 ahead in the five-match series and have secured the series win. The teams will now shift focus to the fifth and final T20I, scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The toss, originally scheduled for 6:30 pm IST, was first delayed to 6:50 pm as fog began to settle over the ground. Subsequent inspections were held at regular intervals, but persistent fog continued to hamper visibility, leaving officials with no option but to abandon the contest. During inspections, umpires conducted visibility drills, including checking ball sighting from various fielding positions. However, the dense fog made it difficult to see the ball clearly, even under floodlights. Players from both teams continued warm-up routines in between inspections, while ground staff attempted to maintain the pitch.