Fans fume as fog ‘steals’ the show

Lucknow: Yashwardhan Singh, a die-hard fan of Surya Kumar Yadav, travelled all the way from Samastipur in Bihar to watch his hero play, but it wasn't meant to be.

"I came here to watch SKY, my favourite player, in action, but what can be done when weather condition gets unfavourable," said Yashwardhan, as the India-South Africa match to be played at Ekana Stadium was cancelled due to dense fog.


Wrapped in shawls and winter jackets, thousands of cricket fans sat patiently under the open sky at the stadium on Wednesday night, their eyes fixed on a field that never came alive. Dense fog slowly turned hope into heartbreak.

Bhim Singh Shekhawat, another cricket fan, who had come from Nepal, also expressed disappointment as he was expecting explosive knocks from young and explosive batter Abhishek Sharma. Bhim Singh's disappointment echoed through the stands as the thick white blanket of fog refused to lift, even as the clock ticked past prime time.

"I sold three sacks of wheat to come here to watch the match. I want my money back," said another fan, staring at the fog-covered outfield.

Waqas Khan, who drove nearly five hours from Pilibhit through dense fog and long traffic queues on Sultanpur Road, summed up the night's frustration. "The journey itself was difficult. We waited, but the fog won," he said.

With temperatures dipping to around 15 degrees Celsius, fans waited as match officials repeatedly inspected the ground. The umpires first walked out at 6.30 pm for the scheduled toss, only to retreat as visibility deteriorated. Further inspections followed at 7pm, 7.30pm, 8pm, 8.30pm and 9pm. By the final inspection at 9.25 pm, the decision was inevitable – the fourth T20I between India and South Africa – was abandoned without a toss.

For Ekana Stadium, usually a vibrant cauldron of noise and colour, the night felt muted.

Familiar faces like Sudhir Kumar from Bihar, Rambabu from Chandigarh, Rambabu Yadav from Lucknow and Manmohan from Rajasthan were also present, waving flags and hoping for a miracle that never came.

As the fog finally began to lift later in the night, the stadium had already emptied, leaving behind disappointed fans and unanswered expectations.

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) later assured spectators that ticket refunds would be processed. "Counters will be opened for box office purchases, and online refunds will be initiated for digital transactions," a senior UPCA official said.