BCCI Forced To Shift Key Tournament To Mumbai Due To Delhi Air Pollution

Severe air pollution in Delhi has forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to relocate the knockout stage of its annual men's Under-23 one-day tournament from Delhi to Mumbai, as per a report. The rising pollution recently saw the Supreme Court of India urge against outdoor sports in the Delhi and NCR region, citing hazardous air quality levels. Now, some top-level domestic cricket matches have also been pushed away from the region due to air pollution. The matches will now be hosted by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) between November 25 and December 1.

The India board, as per a report in the Indian Express, has verbally told the MCA to prepare for the knockout games of the U-23 tournament.

"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."

According to forecasts from the Ministry of Earth Sciences' Air Quality Early Warning System, Delhi's air quality is expected to deteriorate further, oscillating between the 'very poor' to 'severe' categories over the next six days. Such conditions pose significant health risks to players, officials, and spectators, making outdoor sporting events unsafe.

This is not the first time this year that the BCCI has had to alter its schedule due to pollution in Delhi. The first Test against South Africa, originally slated for November 14 in Delhi, was moved to Kolkata due to potential air pollution in the national capital. In return, Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium was given the second Test against the West Indies on October 10, when conditions were comparatively better.

Delhi hosted an international Test match in the first week of December back in 2017 when the Sri Lankan team had flown to play against India. The average AQI in the capital was 316 during those days, but went up to 390 on Day 3 of the game. The situation was such that some Sri Lankan players wore masks on the field. Some even experienced respiratory problems.