Fans protest in Lucknow: Will BCCI refund tickets after India vs. SA abandoned due to fog, poor visibility

Soham Mukherjee

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Fans protest in Lucknow: Will BCCI refund tickets after India vs. SA abandoned due to fog, poor visibility image

The India vs South Africa fourth T20I at the Ekana Stadium had to be abandoned on Wednesday due to excessive fog and poor visibility in Lucknow.

The toss, which was scheduled to take place at 6:30 pm IST, was initially delayed due to the lack of optimum playing conditions.

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From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the umpires conducted five rounds of inspections before taking the final call of abandoning the game as the conditions in Lucknow were not suitable for playing with the AQi crossing the 400-mark.

India vs. SA 4th T20I: Day ends with fan protests

Hardik Pandya was spotted wearing an N95 protective mask while taking a stroll on the ground. The fans gave out a loud cheer when they saw the Indian international come out of the dressing room, but soon their joy turned to frustration and anger as the match had to be abandoned. 

“(Gehu bech ke liya match dekhke ke liye) I sold three sacks of wheat and came here to watch the match. I want my money back,” a fan said.

While another had travelled nearly 350 km to watch the match and left disappointed.

“We are all fans of the Indian cricket team. I came from Agra to watch the match, and I'm extremely disappointed now. I left home early morning,” he said.

 

Will BCCI refund Lucknow match tickets?

The BCCI have confirmed that they are not responsible for refunding the tickets for the match, as Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) are the hosts and they handle the ticket refunding process.

The official statement read: "That is under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So, this game's hosting state is the UPCA. So, they will be able to tell you about this, and they are the competent authority. 

District, the official ticketing partner for BCCI for this series, put out a tweet saying: "As the 4th T20I – India vs South Africa match at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow was called off without a single ball being bowled, your ticket is eligible for a full refund. The refund will be initiated shortly and should reflect in your source account within 5- 7 working days. We regret the inconvenience caused and truly appreciate your understanding.

"Everything in ticketing is done by the state association, as the BCCI just gives them the hosting rights and all these things are taken care of and are under the domain of the state association."

 

During the ICC Women’s Cricket World CupIn 
2025, which was hosted in India, tickets were supposed to be refunded if a match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. 

A directive from ICC read: "1. Event Cancellation
(a) If a Match is cancelled before it begins, the face value of the ticket purchased will be refunded to
the customer via the original payment method within 7-10 working days, subject to bank policies and
timelines.
(B) Any convenience fees, booking charges, platform fees and similar levies are non-refundable
unless specifically mentioned by the hosting venue.
2. Match Abandonment / Curtailment
(a) If the Match is abandoned without a single ball being bowled, the ticket holders will be eligible for a
full refund of the face value.
(B) If the play starts but is curtailed due to weather, technical issues, or other factors, there will be no
refund (full or partial)."

Has a cricket match ever been abandoned due to excessive fog?

Never has a T20I or an ODI game been abandoned due to excessive fog but in 1998, a Test match in Faisalabad between Pakistan and Zimbabwe had to be called off on the fourth day due to poor conditions and excessive fog.

What next for the Indian cricket team?

With the fourth T20I abandoned, India can no longer lose the series with only a match left. The fifth T20I will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 19.

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