India vs South Africa 4th T20I highlights: Match abandoned due to excessive fog in Lucknow after six inspections

The match has been abandoned due to excessive fog in Lucknow. The final T20I will be played in Ahmedabad on December 19. India lead the series 2-1.

The fifth round of inspection is on with the umpires once again out in the middle. As per the visuals, the fog has intensified. The umpires are standing at both ends trying to gauge the visibility in the middle. Next inspection at 9:25 PM IST.

The umpires are once again back on the ground. The pitch is covered in a large cloth rug. It's a same drill by the umpires. Meanwhile, there are some practice equipment on the ground but no players. The umpires are in some serious discussion in the middle. BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla has walked into the middle too and is having a word with the umpires. And the next inspection is at 9 PM.

Robin Uthappa angry by the umpire's decision. "I am little baffled by the umpire's decision right now. How can they think that the situation will get better as the night wears on. It's only going to get worse. What are they thinking? Its quite confusing," said Uthappa on air.

The umpires come out for the third time for an inspection. They are walking around the boundary line first. The duo are now heading towards the pitch area. Visibility is the issue for the delay. The umpires are once again heading towards the boundary to understand the visibility from the middle of the pitch. And the wait continues. The fourth inspection is at 8:30 PM IST.

Live visuals show that the pitch is being rolled on and the carpets are also out. There is a lot of moisture on the pitch due to fog and dew.

The current AQI in Lucknow is 411 and is termed as ‘hazardous’. Its 1.1 times above the AQI in Uttar Pradesh. Due to the bad AQI, Indian players like Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a mask.

The umpires are walking back into the ground for the inspection. The temperature has clearly dropped in Lucknow. The visibility hasn't improved. Meanwhile, all the India and South African players, who were warming up, have returned to the dressing room. It's only the umpires and the groundstaff are on the ground.

Chance for Sanju Samson to impress with the bat in the final two games and stake a claim in the playing XI. It was due to Gill's return to the T20I side that Samson lost his place. Having said that, Gill has not performed as expected in the first three T20Is Interestingly, Samson and Abhishek Sharma enjoyed brilliant success against South Africa the last time India toured the Rainbow Nation.

Not a great news for the Indian fans as the start of the play is still delayed. The next inspection is at 7:30 PM IST.

With no Shubman Gill in the last two T20Is, Sanju Samson will take up his spot in the playing XI. Meanwhile, the three umpires are on the ground, with some intense discussions. The two umpires are standing at both ends, probably trying to understand the visibility. One of the umpires is having a talk with India head coach Gautam Gambhir and also Jasprit Bumrah.

JUST IN: The toss has been delayed due to fog in Lucknow. The next inspection is at 6:50 PM IST. To add more to that, Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the game due to a foot injury.

If India win today, the Men in Blue will win their 10th consecutive series win. For the unknown, India are undefeated in the shortest format at this venue. The toss is just few minutes away. The live visuals already show the foggy atmosphere. The pitch is a mixture of red and black soil. Because of the moisture on the pitch, it won't be a high scoring game as we get to see normally.

One thing that India will ponder about is the form of Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav. After getting out for single digits in the first two games, Gill managed 28 in the third. On the other hand, SKY's scores in the first three games are 12, 5, 12.

Good news for Indian fans. Jasprit Bumrah is going through an extensive run on the practice pitch. On Tuesday, Shivam Dube had hinted at Bumrah's availability.

History beckons Abhishek Sharma as the India opener is just 47 runs shy of breaking Virat Kohli's 2016. In 2016, Kohli had scored 1614 runs - the most by an Indian batter in a single calendar year in T20s. In 2025, Abhishek has scored 439 runs in IPL, 756 runs for India in T20Is and 373 runs in domestic cricket for Punjab. Abhishek is currently standing at 1568 runs in 2025 with two more matches to go.

It's getting foggy at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow as the visibility is low from the upper stands just an hour before the start of the match. The toss will play a crucial role in the outcome of the match.

The temperature in Lucknow will be chilly and foggy in the evening as dew will play a huge role in the game. Expectedly, teams winning the toss will opt to bowl first. There will be some early movement for the pacers but not much on the wicket for the slow bowlers.

It was a busy yesterday in Abu Dhabi for the IPL auction. While the players in the Indian squad are all retained, there were a few South African stars who got a new home in IPL. While Quinton de Kock returned to Mumbai Indians, David Miller was bought by Delhi Capitals. Both the cricketers went cheap as compared to others.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah didn't play the third game as he rushed back home due to a family emergency. However, it is not known whether he will be available for today. But all-rounder Shivam Dube stated that he 'thinks' Bumrah will play in the fourth game.

India will have to make one forced change today after Axar Patel was ruled out for the remainder of the series. “Axar Patel has been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is against South Africa due to illness,” the BCCI said in a statement. Despite being ruled out, Axar will stay with the team in Lucknow where he will be further medically assessed. The BCCI has named Bengal's Shahbaz Ahmed as a replacement for Axar in the final two T20Is in Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

India are leading the series 2-1. After being locked at 1-1, the Indians dished out a splendid bowling show to bowl out the opposition for just 117 runs. India romped home easily. A win on Wednesday would seal the series for India.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.