LUCKNOW, Dec. 19 -- A debate over air quality data has erupted in Lucknow after Wednesday's India-South Africa T20I at Ekana Stadium was abandoned due to poor visibility caused by fog.

On the match day, social media was flooded with screenshots of alarmingly high AQI (Air Quality Index) figures from private apps that sharply differed from official readings. Fans and residents circulating screenshots, claiming Lucknow's AQI had crossed 400, questioned the safety of holding major events in winter, with some even accusing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of poor scheduling.

However, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the state government said official data showed the city's AQI at 174, which falls under the moder...