New Delhi, 18 Dec

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday called for cricket matches between mid-December to mid-January to be scheduled in South India instead of the north, which experiences heavy fog during the period, so cricket lovers don't feel cheated.

Light-hearted banter with Rajeev Shukla outside Parliament today which makes a serious point to @BCCI -- please don't schedule matches in smog-ridden North Indian cities between mid-December and mid-January; bring them to the clear air and better AQI of the South instead.… https://t.co/cq6rGn26qV

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 18, 2025

Tharoor also had a light-hearted exchange with BCCI Vice President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla when their paths crossed in the Parliament House complex this morning. Tharoor, while speaking with the media, called out to Shukla, who was passing by and said, "Come and play in South India at this time."

Tharoor's remarks come a day after the fourth T20 between India and South Africa in Lucknow was called off because of poor visibility. A dense layer of smog engulfed the Ekana Stadium, raising serious questions about the BCCI's scheduling of matches in northern India during the peak winter.

"My concern is that in the middle of December till the middle of January, every place in northern India is subject to fog and you know perfectly well when the fog is like this at this time of the year, it becomes impossible for cricketers to even see the ball," Tharoor, an avid cricket fan, told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

"Yesterday, the whole nation was frustrated that we could not have the match between South Africa and India. So, my argument simply is that during this period, schedule the matches in South India. My Thiruvananthapuram has a wonderful stadium, and we are ready to host people. Come and play," Tharoor said.

The women's cricket team, he noted, is scheduled to play there towards the end of December.

"We should urge the BCCI to take the weather conditions into account when scheduling," he said.

"Kerala is ready, and I am sure other southern places are not going to have this kind of fog and poor visibility. So from mid-December to mid-January, no cricket matches in north India please... don't cheat cricket lovers," Tharoor said.

The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram put out an X post on the issue on Wednesday night.

"Cricket fans have been waiting in vain for the #INDVSSAODI to start in Lucknow. But thanks to dense smog, pervasive in most north Indian cities, and an AQI of 411, visibility is too poor to permit a game of cricket. They should’ve scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where AQI is about 68 right now!"