BCCI Forced to Shift Men’s Under-23 Knockouts to Mumbai to Due to Hazardous AQI in Delhi

New Delhi: Men’s Under-23 one-day cricket tournament, whose knockout stage was set to begin in Delhi on November 25, will now be played in Mumbai owing to the hazardous air pollution levels in the national capital.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to host the games from November 25-December 1, the Indian Express reported.

“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 paper.

The air quality in the national capital could see further deterioration according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System and will remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category

In the past, the BCCI has been criticised for hosting games in Delhi during this time of the year. Earlier this year, the board had scheduled a Test match between India and South Africa from November 14-18. It was later moved to Kolkata amid backlash over pollution levels and concern for players’ health. 

In 2017, Sri Lankan players had been forced to take to the field in masks during a Test match in Delhi, while some players had to rush indoors due to nausea. The AQI levels in the capital were over 300 at the time.

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