Key Takeaways
- BCCI shifts U-23 knockout matches from Delhi to Mumbai due to hazardous air pollution.
- Games will be held from November 25 to December 1, hosted by Mumbai Cricket Association.
- Delhi’s AQI reached 400 (severe category), with poor conditions expected for six more days.
- This follows previous match relocations and player health incidents during polluted matches.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has relocated the Under-23 one-day tournament knockout stage from Delhi to Mumbai, citing severe air pollution concerns in the capital. Mumbai Cricket Association will host the matches from November 25 to December 1.
“We got a call from the BCCI today, informing us that the MCA has been allotted the under-23 one-day knockouts due to high air pollution in the capital. Cricket can’t be played in those conditions,” a source in the MCA told The Indian Express.
Delhi’s Dangerous Air Quality
Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated to hazardous levels, reaching the ‘severe’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 400. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System, conditions are expected to remain ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ for the next six days.
Tournament Schedule Update
The final league match will be played in Vadodara on Friday. Eight teams will compete in the knockout phase, with the detailed schedule to be announced soon.
Previous Pollution-Related Relocations
This isn’t the first time BCCI has moved matches due to air quality concerns. The board previously shifted the first Test against South Africa from Delhi to Kolkata. Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium instead hosted the second Test against West Indies in October.
2017 Incident Highlights Player Safety Risks
During the 2017 Delhi Test against Sri Lanka, the average AQI was 316 (‘very poor’), peaking at 390 on Day 3. Players took the field wearing masks, and Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Gamage struggled with respiratory problems, causing a 17-minute stoppage. Teammate Suranga Lakmal experienced nausea and vomiting, leaving Sri Lanka with only 10 fit players at one point. Oxygen cylinders were provided to their dressing room.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has proposed tightening the Graded Response Action Plan, implementing pollution control measures at lower AQI thresholds than before.
