The 4th T20I between India and South Africa is delayed due to an unusual reason.
The stadium is buzzing, and the pitch report is done. However, the spectators at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow will have to wait for some time as the IND vs SA 4th T20I has been delayed due to extreme foggy conditions. Though it is not raining at the venue, fog remains a concern for the players and match officials as it can hamper visibility. The toss, which was scheduled at 6:30 pm IST, was postponed until further notice. The first inspection was to take place at 6:50 PM IST.
However, the umpires have been checking the conditions every 30 minutes. The fifth inspection is set to take place at 9PM IST, as the spectators keep waiting. The extensive fog needs to clear for the game to start.
The conditions in Northern India are expected to be cold and foggy during this time of the year. Though the IND vs SA third T20I was scheduled in Dharamsala, the weather did not play spoilsport. That being said, a lot of questions will be raised over the planning of the matches by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI). Heavy fog will also be expected at the venue, which will play a part and aid the team batting second.
For the Men in Blue, another news coming in from the camp is that Shubman Gill would not be a part of the IND vs SA playing XI. The Indian Test and ODI skipper injured his toe in a recent practice session, which has ruled him out of the fourth T20I. In his absence, Sanju Samson is expected to walk out with Abhishek Sharma to open the batting for India.
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The IND vs SA 4th T20I is extremely crucial for South Africa’s chances more than India’s. The visitors are 2-1 down in the five-match series and would want to wrestle their way back with a win in Lucknow, which will also keep the series alive. That being said, it would not be an easy task with the dew around.
One thing that the teams will wish for, to take the toss out of the equation, would be the fact that there must be dew in both innings equally, so that both teams can be judged in the same conditions. Having the dew come down in the second innings makes it challenging for the bowlers, not to mention the struggle for spinners to grip the ball.
India haven’t lost a bilateral IND vs SA T20I series to South Africa since 2015. The Proteas have played decent cricket so far, and will be expected to come hard at the Indians with the series on the line. Their batting has let them down on a few occasions, one of which happened in the last game at Dharamsala. The Proteas have not been able to create a balance between caution and aggression, which has impacted their batting.
To add to that, the South Africans, led by Aiden Markram, have chopped and changed their line-ups way too much. With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, it can be understood that teams would want to experiment to derive their best possible XI. But doing that too much does affect the balance of the squad, and that is what the visitors will have to learn.
The fifth and final match of the IND vs SA T20I series will be played on December 19 in Ahmedabad. Next up, India will regroup for the white-ball tour against New Zealand with the first ODI on January 11.
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